Roses and Rainstorms
by SpiritedChild
Summary: Story currently on hold until my hiatus ends itself. Stupid writer's block...
1. Flashbacks

**ALRIGHT, PLEASE DON'T HIT ME FOR THIS. I KNOW I SHOULD BE WORKING ON MY 'DEEP WATERS' STORY AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO ARE READING IT, I SWEAR TO TRY AND KEEP UP BOTH THAT STORY AND THIS ONE. I REALLY JUST CAN'T RESIST A GOOD IDEA.**

**NOT SURE EACTLY WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS BUT I DO KNOW THAT IT'LL BE AN OHSHC STORY AND THE PAIRING USED WILL BE KYOYA/OC. YES, NOT HARUHI. THOUGH I AM A COMPLETE KYOYA/HARUHI SHIPPER.**

**!ATTENTION: YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE THE NAME OF THE GIRL I'VE CHOSEN AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE YOU MIGHT'VE READ ANOTHER STORY OF MINE THAT I DELETED A BIT BACK BECAUSE OF A BAD GENERAL RESPONSE. IT WASN'T THE MOST INTERESTING STORY AND I'VE OUTGROWN WRITING ABOUT FANS AND CELEBRITIES GETTING TOGETHER.**

_PLOT: AVIANNA YUKIMURA WAS CELEBRATING HER SEVENTEENTH BIRTHDAY WHEN MARK YUKIMURA, A WEALTHY HALF BROTHER FROM JAPAN THAT SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE HAD, ENTERED HER LIFE. AFTER MUCH NEGOTIATION, HER MOTHER ALLOWS MARK TO TAKE AVIANNA TO TOKYO TO LIVE WITH HIM. WHEN SHE STARTS SCHOOL AT OURAN ACADEMY, SHE HATES IT AT FIRST, ESPECIALLY WHEN HER NEW FRIEND RINAE KEEPS PERSUADING HER TO VISIT THE HOST CLUB. HER OPINION SLOWLY CHANGES WHEN SHE MEETS KYOYA OOTORI, THE SHADOW KING. WILL AVIANNA BE ABLE TO MELT HIS HEART OF ICE?_

**DISCLAIMER: OBVIOUSLY, I DO NOT OWN OHSHC. I DO OWN THE CHARACTER AVIANNA. SHE'S A CHARACTER I'VE USED IN MANY PERSONAL STORIES AND I'VE BEEN MOLDING HER PERSONALITY AND APPEARANCE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. **

**ENJOY CHAPTER ONE! PROBABLY GONNA BE A THREE-SHOT. IDK. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. :)**

**I KNOW THAT MOST OF YOU ARE READING THIS STORY JUST FOR THE HOST CLUB AND I PROMISE THEY WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO THIS STORY BY THE END OF THIS CHAPTER OR BEGINNING OF NEXT CHAPTER, SO PLEASE BARE WITH ME. I WANTED THIS STORY TO BE MORE THAN JUST A FANFIC. I WANTED TO INCORPORATE A DETAILED BACKGROUND ON THE MAIN CHARACTER SO YOU COULD TRUELY IMAGINE HER.**

**! I WILL SAY THIS AT THE BEGINNING AND AT THE END OF THIS**

**CHAPTER: IF YOU WANT TO SEE **_**PICTURES**_** OF AVIANNA, MARK'S HOUSE (OUTSIDE), MARK'S HOUSE (INSIDE), AVIANNA'S BEDROOM AND EVEN THE NEW GIRL'S AND GUY'S UNIFORM FOR OURAN, GO **

**TO MY PROFILE AND CLICK THE LINKS I HAVE WAITING FOR YOU. :D**

**AVIANNA'S BEDROOM IS INCREDIBLE!**

Avianna's POV:

**Chapter 1**

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." I whispered as I folded myself in half in my seat. wrapping my arms around my knees, I took a few deep calming breathes as the plane took off. Jet. Whatever this stupid flying machine is. Mark leaned over and rubbed my back, trying to calm me down.

"We're almost at high altitude. The jet will even out and you'll feel a lot better." He told me but even the knowledge that I'd feel better in a moment didn't calm me down.

But there was no turning back. I needed to do this. His last request and I wasn't about to disappoint him.

_Two weeks ago... [Flashback]_

_I was blowing out the seventeen candles on my chocolate swirl birthday cake when a knock came at the door. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound in curiosity. Everyone we invited to the party had already arrived and it was a sunday so it couldn't be someone delivering a package. My mom got up from the couch and went to answer the door after handing the camera she was taking pictures with to my grandmother. Everyone waited expectantly for whoever was at the door to show themselves. _

_A minute of hushed whispers later, mom stepped back in the room with a very disgruntled expression. Trailing right behind her was an asian man with violet eyes just like mine. They look just like..._

_Mom's eyes sweeped the room of family and friends. "I apologize. We're going to need to cut the party short. Something very important has come up."_

_Suprise gave way to irritation. Who was so flipping important that my mom needed to send all my friends home? Whoever the man was, he pushed himself into a corner while everyone said their goodbyes. After promising Nicole and Stephanie that I would Skype them while I opened their presents, they left along with my aunts, uncles, cousins and my grandma on my mom's side. My other grandma, my dad's mom, stayed behind. She stood in the entryway with my mother and me for a moment before turning towards the living room. _

_"Mark, follow us please. We'll talk in the kitchen." She said and the man rounded the corner. Now that I could get a look at him, I saw that he was probably about twenty-five at the oldest. Those eyes are what frightened me the most though. Just like..._

_When we were all seated at the kitchen table, my grandmother stood and went to make some tea. The smell of blackberries and lemon filled the kitchen in a matter of minutes. It was a special recipe she learned how to make when she lived in Japan. She's Japanese. Just like... my dad. He came to the United States with my grandma when he was fifteen. He married my mom a year after college and I was brought into the world a year later. I had pale skin, light brown hair and a slender frame like my mother but in every other aspect, I was the spitting image of my father._

_I was half asian and mostly raised by my father for the first ten years of my life. My father was having trouble keeping a job and my mother had to work more hours at hers. Whenever I wasn't in school, my dad and grandma would teach me Japanese. The language, reading and writing, even the customs. A couple months before my fifteenth birthday, he..._

_"Here you are." Grandma Maki said before placing the tea on the table. I noticed right away that she had served it in her best tea set instead of the little coffee cups she normally used. She took a seat opposite me before folding her hands on the table and looking to my mom._

_My mother took a deep breath. "Well, the first thing we need to do is introduce you to Avianna." My mother turned to me. "Avianna, this is Mark Yukimura. He's your half brother."_

_I was numb for the rest of the talk. I sat there and silently listened to my mother tell me about how my father had been married before he met my mother to a woman he went to high school with but the woman had divorced him. His wife ran off with their son and he never saw either of them again. After several months of grief, he met my mother who convinced him to go back to college._

_"I know this is a lot to take in." My mom said at the end of her explaination. Whatever look she saw on my face must've frightened her judging by how wide her eyes got for a moment._

_"I wasn't aware of the fact I even had a father until I was twenty-two. By the time I could track him down, I was told he had passed away." the man said. I couldn't even think of him as my half brother. I couldn't wrap my head around how my dad, the one who told me absolutely everything, the one who I confided in, could keep such a collasal piece of information a secret._

_Reaching for my cup with shaky hands, I took a large gulp of the tea. The aroma and taste usually helped to calm my nerves but not today. Today, I was being forced to open the vault I had locked most of my memories in. Each one involving someone who I would never get to see again. Standing up slowly, I had to catch myself by grabbing the back of my chair. My legs too numb to move, I stood there awkwardly until I could fully stand._

_"I'm sorry... I need to..." I didn't even finish the sentence. Walking unevenly from the kitchen, I practically drug myself up the stairs and to my room. My eyes sweeped the room. What was once the most comforting place in the world to me now felt alien. Closing my eyes, I pressed my hands against the hallway walls and made my way back to the stairs. Opening my eyes, I sat at the top of them, my head in my hands. _

_"Dad..." I whispered. "What do you want me to do now? He's your son after all. Should I welcome him into the family?"_

_My cat Oliver startled me by rubbing his head against my arms. Pulling him into my lap, I pet his back absentmindedly. I listened closely to the murmurs coming from the kitchen. They were talking about the guy._

_"Your own medical company? That's great." My mother in that overly peppy voice she used when she was trying to hide how upset she was by something. Mark's visit obviously took her off guard too. Scooting down the stairs with Oliver, I continued to listen. _

_"Yes. I'm planning on going to Japan sometime soon. My company has a branch in Tokyo. Everything in New York is doing fine but my partner assures me that the best way to get ahead in this business is to form bonds in every country I'm associated with. Mr. Packer reccomends choosing a potential rival."_

_"You'll have to excuse me, I'm going to go check on Avi." I heard my grandma say. Letting go of Oliver, I scampered up the stairs and sat at the top of them again. When she exited the kitchen, her eyes scanned the area until they settled on me. She smiled and motioned for me to come downstairs with her hand. "I've got something I want to show you Avi. Go and sit outside on the garden bench and I'll meet you there in a minute."_

_Curious, I took a deep breath and stood up carefully. My legs felt less shaky now. Walking down the stairs, I went out the back door and sat on the little wooden bench by the birdbath. Grandma Maki showed up a minute later, as promised. As soon as she took a seat next to me, she handed me a burgundy red envelope. "What's this?"_

_"A letter." She said with a mysterious smile. Her lavender eyes a constant reminder of my father. _

_Looking away from her face, I focused on the envelope. carefully opening it, I pulled out a piece of fancy stationary. _

**Dear Avianna,**

**If you're reading this, then my disease has already run its course. I love you so much and I never wanted to leave you and your mother alone like this. There's a lot I wish I had told you that I never did and I never want you to feel like I kept it from you to hurt you. Some things were just too painful for me to talk about. Someday, those things will be revealed to you when you're ready to hear them. **

**Of all the things I wish I could tell you, this is the most important. At the bottom of this letter is a five digit pin number that opens a private safe at the Wells Fargo bank in New York. All its contents are for you. You're older now and I know that you want more than just to live out your life in this little box of a town. Take a train as soon as you're ready and withdrawl everything from the private safe. I think you'll understand everything a little better once you see what I've left.**

**I love you.**

_At the end of the letter was his signature. Next to it was the pin number. Blinking back tears, I looked over at my grandmother. "Did you know about this?"_

_"The letter, yes. But I never opened it. Your mother doesn't even know about the letter. I knew she'd be desperate to open it and your father wouldn't have wanted that."_

_I wiped away a few tears that had slipped down my face. "Didn't he leave her a letter too?"_

_"Yes he did. Still..." She stopped and looked towards the back door. Following her gaze, I saw mom standing about ten feet away._

_"Let me see the letter." She said with wide eyes. Nobody spoke while she read it. When she finished, she folded it and handed it back to me. "Alright. We'll take a train tomorrow."_

[End Flashback]

Snapping back to reality, I lifted my head from my hands and sat upright in my seat. Mark had already unbuckled and was ordering something to drink from the jet's private flight attendant. The events after my mother read the letter were a blur. The private safe at the Wells Fargo bank had contained five thousand U.S. dollars, five hundred thousand yen, a yearbook from a school called Ouran Academy and another letter.

His final request had been that I see Japan for myself when I was eighteen. Specifically, he wanted me to visit his old high school, Ouran Academy. Even with the money, mom was still against it. She went through all the worst case scenerios, trying to scare me out of wanting to go on the trip. As we read the letters he left over and over, Mark, who had been staying with us for the past twenty-four hours, spoke up.

He offered to let me go to Tokyo with him in a couple weeks and even would arrange for me to start school at Ouran Academy. I was torn. There was a big difference between staying there for a few weeks after I graduate and moving there. We left the question in the air for the rest of that night. By the time I went downstairs for breakfast, I had made up my mind. This was my dad's final request. It took almost a whole week to get mom to agree. When she knew that I'd live in a good neighborhood and go to a prestigious school, she permitted me to stay for one semester of school. Their fall semester would be starting in a week.

Saying goodbye to my friends was the hardest part. I've known Nicole and Stephanie since we were all in kindgergarden and here I was telling them I was leaving for four months. When all my goodbyes were said, I packed my bags and waited. And six days later, here I am. In a private jet, sick to my stomach and on my way to Tokyo. I said a prayer of thanks that we were able to not take a regular airplane. I would've had to stop and switch over planes about three times before I made it to Tokyo if not for the jet.

"What kind of place do you live at?" I asked Mark, trying to make casual conversation.

"I own a house. It's about four or five blocks from Ouran. I'm not sure if you like walking or not so you can get a ride there from the driver." I noticed almost as soon as I met Mark that he was the easily nervous type. He fidgeted and had a hard time thinking up conversation topics. The only thing he could talk about flawlessly was his job. About halfway through his second retelling of how he first decided to start his own medical company, I ended up falling asleep.

_My dream was a memory. In my dream I was sitting in the hospital with my dad. He was looking through a book while I watched the little tv mounted on the wall. I was fourteen at the time and it was back when he was still healthy looking. "I miss my old school." He said absentmindedly. "It was really big. It had this big garden full of white and red roses. I think you would like it Avi. My favorite place to go was this white bench in the middle of the garden's maze. The bench is right in front of this koi pond. We should go there someday and just sit by the pond and feed the fish."_

_"Okay." I mumbled, distracted by whatever tv show I had been watching. Looking back, I wish that I had responded better._

I was woken up by someone shaking my shoulder. Opening my eyes, I stared at the flight attendant leaning over me. "Miss. Yukimura, the plane is going to land soon."

I sat right up, nearly butting heads with the flight attendant. "It's seriously been that long already? I thought the trip was gonna take fourteen hours."

"You've been asleep for twelve hours and it took you a couple to fall asleep. Buckle up." Mark told me as he buckled his own seatbelt. Doing as he said, I looked out the window. We had left when it was dark and the sun was already up. We were over land now and getting closer every second. My stomach began to knot up and I had to close the curtains.

"I hope you won't mind being left alone for a few hours. I'm late for a meeting with a possible future partner for the Tokyo branch of the company." Mark told me as the plane finally hit the runway. "You won't be completely alone. The help will look after you. Find Mr. Kobayashi and tell him to take you to Ouran to register. I've already called ahead and sent my signature for everything. You'll wear a uniform there."

"Did you go to Ouran?" I asked him.

"No. I attending school in Burbank, California."

"Oh." I didn't know what else to say. When we exited the plane, a fancy black town car was waiting to take us to Mark's house. The ride there was even more awkward than the plane ride. I spent a lot of the time looking out the window, trying to take in everything around me. I couldn't believe it. I was really in Japan. We ended up passing by a cluster of large, mansion-like buildings inside a wrought-iron gate.

"That's Ouran Academy." He told me and I had to do another take.

"It's massive!" I stared in awe at the large clock tower stretching taller than any of the other buildings.

"It's not just a high school I hear. It's all grades from pre school to college. The campus even has its own little cluster of shops. Like a coffee shop and a school supply store. It's a ten acre place. Everything is so seperated that you never run into any of the other schools. The high school is newly renovated too. The pictures online show new libraries and a new cafeteria. From what I hear about our dad, I wonder how he ever got the money to go to a place like this. The rules might've been more relaxed twenty-five years ago."

"Everything looks so new. How old is the school?" I asked. We had already passed it and were turning down a street that led to some really large houses.

"It was built in 1902 I think. They never let the place crumble. Every building is fixed up inside and out and they buy new desks and paint all the walls anually." I noticed that he seemed passionate about this place. He knew a lot about it. He must've wanted to go to this school.

I shook my head. "There is no way I can fit in a place like this. It's probably full of stuck up rich kids."

"It's a privlege to be accepted at this school Avianna. Even just attending this school for a semester. With it on your transcripts, no college will deny you."

I resisted the urge to let my jaw drop. "Any college?"

"Except Ouran University. They only accept students that attend at least all four years of high school at Ouran. The only exception they ever made was for the son of the chairman about twenty years ago. The kid lived all his life in the states with his mother and went to live with his dad in the middle of sophmore year. The college let him in because he was able to pass a special test."

The car pulled up into the driveway of a three story victorian style home. At least it was western style. I don't know if I could get used to a traditional Japanese house. Before I could open my door, it swung open for me. A maid stood there, waiting for me to emerge. I got out gingerly, feeling out of my element. A couple men were taking my suitcases from the trunk and carrying them inside. "Uh... Where should I go?" I asked Mark while he typed something on his touch screen phone.

He looked up at a middle aged man with greying hair standing near the car with his hands folded behind his back. "Mr. Kobayashi, please look out for my half sister, Miss. Avianna. Show her to her room and make sure she gets something to eat. When she's settled in, take her by Ouran and help her register and pick up her things. I need to leave for my meeting."

Mark got back in the car and was gone in less than twenty seconds. The man that Mark called Mr. Kobayashi bowed his head and motioned towards the door. "Let me escort you."

"Uh, okay." Walking up the little curved walkway with him, I looked around for my luggage. It was nowhere to be found. Halfway up the porch stairs, I paused to look around the front yard.

"If you don't mind Miss. Yukimura, could we commense with the settling in? We don't have long until they'll be closing the office at the school for the evening."

Blushing in embarassment, I picked up the pace. Rushing right into the house, I tried to keep my pace while I admired everything. Although the outside of the house was classic victorian, the inside had a touch of modernism in the color scheme. "Mr. Kobayashi?" I asked when the man walked right past me and headed up the stairs angled stairs.

"Follow me." He said almost shortly. At least he spoke English. He didn't seem like a bad guy but he was obviously having a very stressful day. Taking the steps two at a time, I followed him right up to the second floor and to the second door on the left. He opened the door and swung it open. "This will be your room. There's a bathroom in the room so feel free to freshen up. When you're ready, come downstairs and a hot meal will be waiting for you. Master Yukimura prefers the traditional Japanese cousine. I hope that suits you."

Without even waiting for my response, he walked right down the stairs. "Yeah, that's fine!" I called, unsure if he was even listening. I sighed. Okay. Here we go.

Walking into the room, I had to do a double take. Everything was done up in shades of purple and pink with white accents. The massive bed was the most dominate feature in the room. To it's left was a vanity and to its right was a large window with a little purple mini bench that matched the vanity's stool. A sparkling silver chandelier hung in the middle of the room, above the end of the bed. The floors were made of a rich white wood that looked like it had been bleached by saltwater. The majority of the floor was taken up by a large, deep purple rug.

To the left of the vanity was a closet that I could fit my entire old room into and about five feet from the foot of the bed against the far wall was a computer desk with a laptop already sitting on it. A note sat on the desk. I picked it up.

**Avianna,**

**I called last week and requested that this room be made for you.**

**Mark.**

Short, sweet and to the point. It was also typed out on printer paper and we just arrived in the country so he faxed the note over here. I eyed the door to the left of the desk and the bookshelf to the right of it. Opening the door, I saw the bathroom. It's color scheme was just like the room. I had to shake my head. How much money did this guy even have? Sitting on the edge of the bed, I pulled out my phone. First thing's first. Call my mom.

She picked up on the first ring. "Hello? Avianna?" She called, panic in her voice again. I could imagine her sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee in one hand and her cellphone in the other, just waiting for my call.

"I'm here mom. I made it safely." I told her while walking into the bathroom and turning on the light.

"Is everything alright? Have you made it to his house already?"

"Yeah mom. Everything's fine. You won't even believe what he did to his guest room for me. It's... wow."

"Are you officially signed up for school?" She asked, sounding a bit more relaxed.

"Not yet. As soon as I get something to eat, I'm going to go get registered."

"Have you seen the school yet?"

..."Yeah..."

"Do you think you'll like it there?"

"Not sure... it's what dad would've wanted. It's... I just don't know if I belong in a place like that. Their campus is bigger than our entire neighborhood. All the kids who go there are rich."

"You're welcome to come home anytime. Don't feel for a second that you have to stay there. Your father's original plan had been for you to just visit for a while."

"I know but... I feel like this is where he'd want me to be. Several steps past just visiting." I tried to imagine what he'd say if he knew I were going to attend the same school he did.

Mom didn't respond for a while and I began to wonder if she had hung up. Before I could ask, she sighed. "I love you. Don't get yourself into any trouble and don't run off on your own, okay?"

"I won't. Love you too. Bye." Hanging up the phone, I sat it on the desk and went to take a shower.

Three hours later, I was clean, dressed and full of the best food I'd ever eaten. Mr. Kobayashi escorted me out to a waiting town car then. I glanced into the still open detatched garage as I got in the car. It looked like it was full of shiny cars. The red convertable specifically caught my eye. When I was buckled in, Mr. Kobayashi began to back out of the driveway. "Miss. Yukimura, we're heading to Ouran Academy now. When we arrive, please stay near me. It's quite easy to get lost on such a big campus."

I felt really ridiculous being chauffeured around. That is, until we drove through the gates of Ouran. It was three o'clock, school was out and a long line of limos had arrived to pick up the students. Did every kid here have their own flipping limo? With as many vehicles as there were, it took us ten minutes just to get out of the limo line and another ten to find a parking space. Before I had the chance to open the door, Mr. Kobayashi had run around and opened it for me. "Thanks." I mumbled before hopping out and looking in awe at the massive building about two hundred yards in front of us. "Is that the high school?"

"Yes ma'am. It's the new wing. We'll be entering through the main doors though. We'll get to the office more quickly that way." Mr. Kobayashi led me right up to the crowd up students waiting for their ride. The men wore black slacks and blue blazers over white button-up shirts with black ties and the women wore the ugliest yellow dresses I had ever seen. The sleeves and skirts of them were poofy and a red bow was tied to the collar of every dress. They even wore white tights and little black dress shoes just like little girls.

"Uh... Those uniforms... are what I'll be wearing?"

Mr. Kobayashi nodded. "As far as I know ma'am. Please excuse the crowd. This is their first day back after summer vacation."

It took a while to fight our way through all the people. I felt stupid in my t-shirt, jeans and converses. My hair was tied back into a sloppy ponytail while every student here had their hair perfectly fixed for the day, not a hair out of place. The students eyed me the way they'd eye a piece of trash if it sprouted legs and started walking. Dumbstruck and with a little bit of disgust.

The inside of the main building looked more like the entryway to a mansion to me. Mr. Kobayashi asked directions from a passing man in a suit and motioned for me to follow. We walked right up the grand staircase where he knocked on the double doors right at the top. A moment later, the door was opened and we were ushered in by a friendly looking secretary. The woman offered us a seat and brought out some green tea in a lavish looking teaset. After a few minutes of drinking our tea in silence, the secretary returned. "The chairman will see you now."

Mr. Kobayashi stood with me, making me feel a bit better. I don't think I could've handled being alone with whoever ran this school all by myself. When we walked into his office, a man with greying brown hair stood and bowed formally. "Welcome. You must be Avianna Yukimura. Please, take a seat. I took a seat in the only chair across from him. Mr. Kobayashi sat in a chair near the door, still in the room but not close enough for me to draw any comfort from him.

The chairman opened up a folder that had been sitting near him on his desk. He leafed through it and looked up at me, a small smile on his face. "I'm looking at your transcripts right now Miss. Yukimura. You have excellent grades but usually, that isn't enough to gain entrance into this school. I'll tell you, when your brother first called, requesting you be accepted here, I was quick to tell him no. New money is usually not given a place at Ouran Academy. But after a long talk with him, I was impressed to say the least. To hear a story of a man who built his own medical company from the ground up, all on his own..."

He stopped speaking. He reached over and took a cup from a teatray sitting on his desk and sat it in front of me. After pouring some into my cup, he poured some into the cup already sitting beside him. He sat there, staring at me. Realizing he expected me to drink some, I did. It was a little too bitter for my taste but I took a couple drinks to be polite. When he had finished his whole cup, he spoke again.

"But I still wasn't impressed enough to allow you to attend here. Because he isn't your full brother and just because he was successful, that had nothing to do with you. But the last name sounded so familiar that I had to look into the records. And I found something that might interest you Miss. Yukimura. A Haruo Yukimura had attended school here several years ago. He was the son of a business tycoon. The type to find little businesses with potential and make them rise from the ashes. If not for that, I'd never even consider accepting you. But I will accept the grandaughter of Isao Yukimura and the daughter of Haruo Yukimura."

It took several moments to find my voice. It was floored. I knew my dad went to school here but... Why wouldn't he tell me that I had a grandfather and that he had grown up rich? All those years of struggling when I was a child. My family nearly went homeless once. Could my father have prevented that by talking to his father? My grandfather? And why wouldn't Grandma Maki tell me her husband was still alive? Was he? "Chairman..." I whispered. Clearing my throat, I spoke a little louder. "Where is my grandfather?"

The chairman gave me a heavy stare. "I'm not at liberty to discuss that. You'll need to discuss it with your father."

A heavy lump formed in my throat. "He died sir."

His eyes widened a bit to show me he was suprised but he showed no sympathy. "I'm sorry to hear that."

After a long, awkward pause, the chairman silently handed me a few documents. "What are these?" I asked.

"Your class schedule, a list of all the classes and extracurriculars we have, your locker combination and a paper we need you to sign. You're registered as soon as you sign here."

I did as he said and the man pulled apart the white and yellow papers that were attatched. He took the white one and handed the yellow one back to me. My signature was there too only a little more faded that the one on the white paper. "Please ask my secretary to get you a new uniform." He shooed me a way with his hand before standing up and going to stare out of the massive window that took up the whole far wall. Greatful to get away, I rushed from his office with Mr. Kobayashi.

"How was it?" The secretary asked kindly while she escorted me to the room they keep uniforms in.

"A little scary honestly." I told her.

"He can be that way at times. I don't think he means to be."

"Uh... am I seriously gonna have to wear that yellow dress all the girls are wearing?"

"Oh no not at all. You see, today was their first day back from vacation and we had an open house today instead of school. All the students showed up in their old uniforms and were given new ones. They'll return to school in the morning wearing the new ones. We change out the uniforms for all the schools each year."

The secretary, who had told me earlier that her name was Miss. Emi, unlocked a door and opened it up. The room inside was a large storage room. I could see books, different types of supplies and box after box labeled uniforms with the year they're being used. She opened up a box with the current year on it and season and dug through it. She pulled out a boy's uniform and shook her head. It looked just like last year's boy's uniform only the blazer was deep red.

Miss. Emi opened another box and handed me a white skirt with burgundy trim, a red skirt with white and peach trim, a thick red, short sleeved shirt with buttons and that sailor collar with a yellow bow attatched at the neck, and a similar shirt but with longer sleeves. She handed me a package that said it contained three pairs of white knee highs and then a pair of shoes. There's a curtain over there. You can try these on and see how they fit. I guessed on the shoe size. I hope I'm right.

Well, it was infinately better than the frilly yellow dress. Taking my uniform I went and put it on. **(A/N: I'm adding another note. I added one at the beginning and end too. On my profile are pictures of the anime girl that is a close representation of Avianna, a couple pics of Mark's victorian house, a pic of Avianna's room and a pic of the new school uniform for girls. You can pretty much imagine the boy's new uniform. Just change the blazer from light blue to deep red.)**

I tried on the long sleeved one first and then the short sleeved one. After changing back into my clothes I came back with the uniforms folded and returned to the packaging they came in. "They fit."

She smiled. "Oh good. I thought it would. Ok, so you wear the short sleeved one until december first, then you start wearing long sleeves, then at the beginning of march next year, we switch to short sleeves again."

"I'll only be going here for a semester but thank you." I told her.

"Aww that's too bad. You'll miss out on all the festivals we have in the spring."

I didn't respond. I followed her out of the supply room with my uniforms and back to Mr. Kobayashi, who had been waiting in the office. Miss. Emi was the first to speak. "You'll want to take her to the campus supply store and help her pick out school supplies. The store also sells replacment shoes and stockings. If she damages her uniform, she'll have to pay to have it fixed. If the damage is too great, she'll have to pay for a whole new uniform."

I thanked Miss. Emi and we exited the office. As we were walking down the stairs, a few giggling girls passed us. "Hurry! We're going to be late!"

I rolled my eyes. Another girl ran up the steps, after the other girls. "Wait for me! It's my turn to sit by him!"

As soon as we made it to the bottom of the steps, another cluster of girls passed. "Oh! I hope they still have strawberry cake left!" One girl squealed.

"I know! But knowing them, they'll have plenty of everything. They really know how to treat a girl, huh?"

I shook my head. What the heck? "Mr. Kobayashi? What are those girls talking about?"

The man eyed the girls that had ran up the stairs, their yellow dresses fluttering behind them. "I havn't the foggiest idea."

"Well, whatever it is, it sounds stupid." I mumbled. As I walked out of the main building, I swear I heard the sound of girls screaming and giggling from somewhere upstairs.

**HOW WAS IT? :D ATTENTION: WANT PICTURES OF AVIANNA REPRESENTATION, MARK'S HOUSE, AVIANNA'S NEW ROOM AND THE NEW OURAN GIRL'S UNIFORM? GO TO MY PROFILE AND FIND THE LINKS. :) **


	2. Frigid Smile

**WHAT DID YOU THINK OF THE LAST CHAPTER? :) I HOPE IT WAS OKAY. IT RAN A BIT LONGER THAN I HOPED FOR AND I DIDN'T END UP GETTING TO THE HOST CLUB. I DID SHOW YOU A FEW GUESTS WHO SORT OF QUIRKED OUR LEADING LADY'S CURIOSITY.**

**DISCLAIMER: OBVIOUSLY, I DO NOT OWN OHSHC. I DO OWN THE CHARACTER AVIANNA. SHE'S A CHARACTER I'VE USED IN MANY PERSONAL STORIES AND I'VE BEEN MOLDING HER PERSONALITY AND APPEARANCE FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. **

**PLEASE ENJOY CHAPTER 2! :D**

Avianna's POV:

**Chapter 2**

"I hate today..." I mumbled for the tenth time since I woke up this morning. Mark had gotten home really late last night and went right to bed after a quick meal. I kept myself entertained for the evening by connecting to the internet and Skyping with Nicole and Stephanie until eleven. After a shower, I blowdried my hair an went right to bed. One of the maids woke me up in the morning. She had set out my uniform along with a couple hair ribbons in case I wanted to fix my hair in braids.

I was in a pretty good mood until I was walking down the stairs and the full weight of everything slammed down on my shoulders. I was about forty-five minutes away from starting class in a new school, in a new country, in a new social class. After breakfast, Mr. Kobayashi helped me into one of the town cars and began the drive to Ouran Academy. "I hate today..." I said again, this time louder.

"Today will be fine." Mr. Kobayashi said in what I think was supposed to be a soothing tone. "Do you have your bag?"

"Yes." I told him as I pulled the briefcase bag into my lap.

"Mark instructed me to include a little money for lunch. Remember, the school doesn't permit you to leave campus during your lunch hour like some American schools. You can either use their cafeteria or you can walk to the on campus cafe and eat there."

"I know." I sunk deeper in my seat when we pulled into the gate. People were beginning to arrive now, all dressed in the burgundy uniforms. Pulling my ponytail tighter, I smoothed my bangs and unbuckled my seatbelt. Instead of Mr. Kobayashi opening my door, there was a team of vallets standing at the steps to escort everyone inside. When I emerged from the towncar, I got a few stares. I sighed. The first day and everyone had already singled me out as the new girl. I guess I should've figured. All of these people had probably been going to this school together since pre-K.

Blushing, I waved to Mr. Kobayashi and rushed up the steps. I had to step to the side for a second to find my schedule in my bag. Looking it over, I tried to memorize it. Okay. My first class of the day is _Year 3 Mathematics; floor C, room 4_. Simple enough. To my relief there was actually a large board set up that told you where floors were located. The whole first floor was floor A, the main staircase was floor B, the staircase to the far right was floor C and the staircase to the left led to conference rooms and other rooms students weren't allowed in. Down the far left hallway of the bottom floor was the cafeteria.

"Would you like one?" Someone asked in Japanese, making me jump. I looked up and saw a raven haired girl with light brown eyes holding a couple papers. "These are maps. You look a little lost."

I took a map greatfully, thankful that I could fluently speak Japanese. "Thank you. And yes. I'm new." I admited.

"I can tell. I didn't recognize you at all. I'm Rinae Yonomoji."

"Avianna Yukimura."

When I told her my name, her eyes went wide. "Oh so you're that girl everyone's talking about."

I blushed. "People are talking about me?"

She smiled apologetically. "Uh, yeah. It's not often that a commoner gets into the school. Well, only half commoner." I wasn't sure if I should be offended or not. After a moment of thought, I decided that I should be. Turning away from her, I headed towards the staircase that led to floor C. She followed after me right away. "Wait! I didn't mean to offend you. It's something that Tamaki Suoh calls people that aren't born into a wealthy family. It's sort of become a coined phrase around here. There's another student here too and he's got no heritage at all."

Her eyes told me that she really didn't mean to hurt my feelings. Sighing, I smiled. It's alright. I really do need to get to class. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Alright." She smiled brightly before running off. I'm not sure yet, but I think I just made a friend. But the person I really wanted to meet was the other regular kid here. I wish I had asked Rinae who the other 'commoner' student was. Walking into my math class, I noticed that almost everyone was crowded around the board.

When I finally caught sight of the board, I had to repress the urge to groan. Asigned seating. I was seating in the middle row, three seats back. Taking my seat, I put my bag underneath my seat, on the floor. "Oh you don't have to put it there. There are hooks on the side part of your desk for your bag."

Picking up my bag, I turned towards the one who had started talking to me. It was a boy with sandy colored hair and bright blue eyes. He was smiling brightly. I hooked my bag on the hooks I now saw. "Thank you."

"No problem. I'm Hiro."

"Avianna." It was really wierd. Is it just normal behavior for everyone in Japan to jump out and introduce themselves like this or was it just in rich schools?

"I'm pretty sure you're new, right?"

"Yeah. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you." I heard someone mimick me, using a high pitched voice. Scanning the room, I found the culprit. A bottle blonde girl with dark eyes was looking at me. No, not looking... outright glaring. A snobby rich girl intent on making my life hell. Now I feel right at home. Looking at my desk shyly, I tried to ignore everything around me. Unfortunately, Hiro was intent on being heard.

"So where are you from?" He asked.

I glanced at him. "I'm from northern New Jersey."

"Oh cool. So you got to go to New York a lot?"

"No, hardly ever." I admited. "New York's a three hour drive from where I live and my mom hated wasting the gas money to go so it became a twice a year event for us."

He looked fascinated. "You didn't have the money to pay for gas? Does your car use a lot of gas?"

"No, just the adverage amount." I told him. He still looked confused so I figured I'd have to clarify. "My mother and I aren't rich."

His eyes widened even more, if that were even possible. "Oh! So you're a commoner!"

I blushed, wishing the floor would swallow me. They acted like they were all royality and anyone from a lower class were considered peasants. "Uh, yeah. I guess you could say that."

"Alright class. Let's settle down. Welcome back for another wonderful year. Ouran Academy has made some major renovations over the summer so everyone please feel free to see the new wing when you get a chance. I'm pleased to see that everyone is here today, even our new student. Would the class representative please come forward?"

I heard movement to my left. Looking up, I saw a tall, dark haired boy go to the front of the glass. When he spun around and stood behind a podeum, I blushed. He was... "Kawaii! You're so cute Kyoya senpai!" A girl in the back of the class called, earning a shush from the teacher. The black eyed, glasses wearing boy smirked briefly before regaining a very fake looking smile.

"Welcome. As you all know, there's been a new wing added to the school. These renovations have opened up many doors for the ones who want a new type of club to join. Of course, we have all the old clubs that you know and love and now we have five new ones." He went on and on in that deep voice about all the clubs the school had to offer while passing out a paper just like the one I was given by the chairman with a list of extracurriculars. "Remember, only specific clubs have openings for new members but every club will always have an opening for those who want to support."

At the end of his speach, everyone applauded politely. One boy, louder than any other. He wooped and hollered. Shouting, "Go Kyoya!" I turned around to look at him. He was sitting one seat behind the Kyoya guy, who was sitting to my left. He had baby blonde hair and bright purple eyes. He was handsome but something told me he'd be a handful.

The teacher chuckled. "Alright. Settle down Tamaki." I suprised she didn't just harshly shush him like she did with the girl in the back. Was she picking favorites? "Kyoya, before you take your seat, could you please step out into the hallway with Miss. Yukimura and give her a tour. I hope you don't mind."

Kyoya smiled in my direction. "Not at all." Yeah right. He had the most frigid looking smile I'd ever seen. Yet he somehow managed to pull it off. Sighing, I stood up and followed him out of the classroom. When the door was shut, he turned to me. "It's wonderful to meet you Miss. Yukimura. My father is friends with your brother."

"Half brother." I corrected.

"Pardon?"

"Mark is my half brother. We have the same father but not the same mother."

He didn't respond to this, but his eyes told me he was calculating it and storing back for later use. Turning to the side, he began walking. "We'll begin with the main hallway."

"You know, you really don't have to give me a tour. I think I can manage on my own."

"As the class representative, it is my responsibility to show the new students around the school."

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. "Alright."

To my suprise, the tour was a pretty silent event. He only spoke a few times and only showed me the hallways I'd be going to class in and just pointed out the doors to the cafeteria and the gym. We were back in class in twenty minutes. Suprisingly, the class had waited for us. After the teacher wished me a happy year at Ouran, she passed out a few stapled papers to each student.

"These papers are your notes for the day and a worksheet. Since it's the first official day back, we're just going to do this for the day." The teacher told us. It was pretty basic and I finished it within ten minutes. Handing the papers in, I took my seat and scanned the room. Everyone else was still working on the worksheet except for me and the Kyoya guy. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was reading something. Looking at the cover, I saw that it was a book written in English.

Everyone else in the room was chatting as they did their worksheet so I didn't see a problem with me talking. "You can speak English?"

His eyes lifted up just long enough to give me a pointed stare. "Yes I can." He said in English.

Blushing, I looked away quickly. When I had the courage to look back, he was reading his book again. The bell rang a short time later and he was out of the class faster than I could so much as stand up. I didn't see him for the rest of the morning. On my way to lunch, I ran into Rinae and Hiro, who both offered to sit with me at lunch.

"You'll love the food here." Rinae said. "And if we're lucky, we can get a table near the host club."

"That what?" I asked.

Both Rinae and Hiro stopped and gave me the 'you've got to be kidding me' stare. "You've been going to this school all morning and you havn't heard of the host club yet? It's on the extracurricular list."

I smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, havn't heard of it. What's a host club?"

"It's..." She paused, thinking it through. "Well, imagine this. You walk into a room and rosepetals fly everywhere and standing in the middle of the room... are seven of the cutest boys you've ever seen determined to make you feel like a princess."

I nearly snorted. The awestruck look on her face as she tried to describe it was just too much. "You have got to be joking."

She pouted. "No. Really. Look!" She turned me around so I was facing a table about fifteen feet away. Sitting there was none other than Kyoya from Math class. Next to him was the blonde kid from math that the teacher had called Tamaki. I put two and two together. "Wait. Is that the Tamaki guy you told me who coined the phrase 'commoner'?"

"Uh-huh. But watch. The rest of the host club just walked in the cafeteria." A moment later, a little blonde boy, a very tall dark haired guy, a set of fire haired twin boys and a thin boy with almost a girlish face sat at the table. "The tall, blonde haired boy is the King of the host club. His name is Tamaki Suoh. He's my favorite."

A girl with dark brown hair who I recognized from my science class came to stand with us. "Oh are you introducing the new girl to the hosts? Hi, I'm Mina."

"Avianna." I said, wondering when I'd be free to go get lunch.

"Yeah. I showed her Tamaki but you're a lot better at it. You tell her." Rinae said.

The girl went to stand by me. "Alright, so you've got Tamaki Suoh, a third year student. He's the princely type. The hopeless romantic that sweeps you off your feet. The dark haired guy with glasses next to him is third year Kyoya Ootori, his best friend. Kyoya is the smart, cool type that handles the club's budget. The little blonde boy may look like a kid but he's really a fourth year student that we call Honey senpai. His real name is Mitsukuni Haninozuka."

"He's the boy lolita. He brings the cute factor to the host club." Rinae added.

"Right." Mina agreed before continuing. "The really tall guy next to him is Takashi Morinozuka, also known as Mori senpai. They're cousins and in the same year. His hook is silence and his rugged good looks of course. The twins are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin. The mischevious types. And then there's the newest member, Haruhi Fugioka. He's the natural type. He took to hosting pretty well. He's a commoner."

I took a closer look at the brunette boy. So that's the 'commoner' Rinae mentioned this morning. "any questions?" Rinae asked.

"No." I mumbled, trying not to look like I was staring. Kyoya Ootori's dark eyes were scanning the cafeteria. "Uh, let's get something to eat, yes?"

When the chef at the counter handed me a covered tray like you'd get in restaraunts, I wasn't sure if it was a joke or not. Taking it, I carried it to the paying counter. "That will be two thousand yen."

I coughed. "Really?" Thinking over the transfer from dollars to yen, I realized that this tray was costing me twenty dollars. The lady nodded and I opened my school bag and pulled out a wallet. I nearly fainted. It was filled to the brim with one hundred thousand yen bills. Handing her one, she put it in the register and handed me my change back.

Taking a seat with Rinae, Mina and Hiro, the girls went on and on about the host club. Rinae especially. "You really should go and see them after school with us today."

"I don't really get it though. What do they do?"

"They entertain you of course." Mina said, as if it should be obvious. "You play games, eat cake, drink tea and talk with really cute boys."

I stared blankly at both of the girls. "Really? How on earth did they get the school to agree to a club that stupid? Really, no offense but wow."

Mina rolled her eyes and Rinae pouted. Mina patted Rinae's shoulder. "Don't worry. She's new. One visit to the host club and she'll change her tone."

"Ignore them. They're both in love with Tamaki." Hiro told me, giving me a goofy smile. "They probably got away with making a club like that because Tamaki Suoh is the chairman's son."

"That's explains it." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Well at least give it a shot. They're all nice guys." Mina said in defense. I almost wanted to call her on that. I talked to Kyoya and... I don't know. Something about him was just too frigid. It's like he had to pretend to be nice to anyone he talked to.

"I can't. I should focus on studying while I'm here." I really should. It was a better use of time then what they had in mind.

"Nobody is getting any homework today." Rinae said. Her eyes got big and her lip pouted out. "So if not any other day, show up for just today. Please please please!"

"Ugh... okay okay. Fine. I'll go for a few minutes."

"Yay!" Rinae shouted before grabbing ahold of me and hugging the air right out of my lungs. "But you'll need to designate a host or they won't let you stay. You've got to have your name on their list."

"Designate?"

"Yeah, pick one host and sign up for them. You can either sign up for one on one time, which there aren't ever any slots left usually cause the really determined girls get to the list first or you sign up to talk with a host in a group of between two and four for twenty minutes. After your time slot is up, you go and sit with the other girls who've already had their turn or are waiting for their turn."

I rolled my eyes. It was the stupidest thing I've ever heard of but if it would make Rinae happy, I'd put up with one club meeting. As I finished the final bite of my lunch, I picked up my tray and headed for the tray basket. Halfway there, I nearly stopped in my tracked. Kyoya Ootori was dumping his tray too. Slowing down, I kept my eyes on my tray as I walked. He walked right past me, not stopping once. Sighing in relief, I put the tray in the basket and went back to my seat.

I couldn't help but feel frustrated. I shouldn't even be freaked out by him. I should just ignore him, pretend he doesn't exist. Yeah. I'm not sure if I was imagining it, but it seemed like Hiro was staring at me for a moment. When I glanced up at him, he was staring at the table in fascination. "So which one are you picking?" Mina asked me, making me jump.

"Picking?"

"Yeah. You don't want to just keep going from host to host. Everyone will call you a host hopper. Which one are you going to pick?"

I eyed the table of boys sitting near us. "Does it matter? I'll only be going once."

"You say that now." Rinae chirped. "But give it one visit and you'll be returning. So choose wisely."

To my dismay, I had either Mina or Rinae in my three remaining classes and neither of them would drop the subject of the host club. As the final bell rang, I was inwardly begging for the chance to run back to Mark's house. The two girls guided me up the main stairs and down a hallway to the right. Their sights were set on the end of the hall. There was a whole cluster of girls waiting down there.

Mina, being the outgoing type of girl that she was, had no problem with grabbing both my arm and Rinae's and dragging us past all the girls to the very front. "One way please! We've got a new guest!" She called. I blushed and apologized to the girl Mina had hip butted to the side in the process.

At the front of the crowd, I saw a set of double doors. I guess we were all waiting for them to open. I was suprised to find the mean blonde girl from math class there too. She Glanced at me and glared. Wow, now we're on to open hostility. Before I could even respond to her glare, I heard the doors open. A flury of rose petals floated out and brushed past my face. All the girls around me gasped in awe.

"Welcome." A chorus of voices said. When the bright light in the room dimmed, I saw all the hosts standing inside the room near the door, all looking very statuesque. I was imediately pushed into the room. If it wasn't for the fact that Mina had my right arm and Rinae had my left, I would've been pushed on the floor and trampled. The girls drug me right up to Kyoya Ootori who had gone to sit at a table.

"Welcome ladies. Just a day pass or would you like one for the whole week? Also, I hope you won't mind showing the newer guests how this works. There are only seven of us hosts."

"Of course. The whole week for Rinae and myself. We also have a new guest." Mina said with a devious sort of smile.

Kyoya's eyes shot up from his papers, widened for a second and then disapeared when the lights behind us made his glasses glare. "Of course. Let me find a form."

"I have to sign up just for one meeting?" I asked, trying to free myself from Mina's grip now that Rinae had let go.

Kyoya handed me a paper. "It's to let us know of each young lady that visits. Rather you visit just once or every day of the year, it costs a basic registration fee each year. Just something to put into our database you see." He smiled that frigid smile again. He slid a clipboard across the table that had blank spaces with times next to it. Rinae signed up for the first group spot with Tamaki and Mina signed up for the second.

"Want to be in a group with us?" Rinae asked but was bumped out of the way by an overeager girl.

Mina sighed. "I'll go find her. Take this board and sign your name somewhere." Before I could protest, I was being pushed aside. Glaring, I went to sit at a table near the sign up space and filled out the form. It asked for my name, age, year of graduation and then asked for my signature after a long spew of 'I will always honor my position as a guest of the host club and act like the young lady that I am' yada yada...

Sighning, I went to stand in line to return the form. It took several minutes to finally get to the front. When I did, I handed the form to Kyoya. "I didn't have a photo." I told him, eyeing the space on the form where it asked for a photo to be attatched.

"I can retrieve a photo myself. One was sent of you during the first steps of registration for this school. Please sign the clipboard." He was busy sorting through a few papers. Picking up the board, I looked for an empty space. Anywhere. Great...

"What if there isn't a space to sign?" I asked.

"Each guest is permitted to time with their favored host. Our aim is to please the ladies. If there is not a space to sign, sign bellow the last available space on any host except Tamaki. His request rate is 70% and he cannot handle any more guests today." He said it in such a bored, monotone voice, it seemed like he had practiced and said it so much that it was an instant response.

Sighing, I put my name at the bottom of the list without even focusing on who I was signing up for. Handing him the clipboard, I went to find Rinae and Mina. Both were sitting on either side of the Tamaki guy, their eyes as big as saucers. I took a seat at an empty table close enough to hear my name being called by far enough away that I wouldn't be bothered. This is so stupid. I stared incredulously at all the girls that were treating the little fourth year boy like he was a baby.

I was completely zoned out when Mina and Rinae showed up. "Hey! Did you get to sit with a host yet?" Mina asked.

"No not yet." I mumbled. "I'm not trying to be mean or anything but I seriously don't want to be here."

"Oh come on. You havn't even talked to a host yet. Give it a shot. If you dont, I'll buy you any kind of coffee drink you'd like at the coffee shop." Rinae offered.

I thought it through. "Well I could go for a frapechino. But seriously. One shot and if I don't like it, please don't drag me here anymore."

Mina nodded. "But if you do end up liking it here, we'll still get coffee but we each buy our own drinks. Fair?"

"Fair." I agreed, smiling.

We spent a good long while just staring at the other hosts while we drank some tea the brunette host had brought us. It was relaxing kind of. I was able to tune out all the babbling and just enjoy the pretty decorations in the room. It had been a while and almost every girl had spoken to a host already when Rinae opened our conversation back up.

"I forgot to ask. Who did you sign up for?" Rinae asked.

"Honestly, I have no idea. They ran out of spaces so I just put my name at the bottom of the page."

"Bottom of the page? First or second collum?" Mina asked, her eyes wide.

"I don't remember. Why?"

"Well if you put your name at the bottom of the first collum, then you just signed yourself up for twenty minutes with the twins." Mina explained. "If you signed your name under the second collum, then you've got twenty minutes with-"

"Miss. Yukimura, your time has started." Kyoya called.

Eyeing them, I walked over to the table Kyoya was sitting at. He was typing away on an expensive looking laptop. I stood behind the chair opposite to his. "Hi. You called my name. Where do I go?"

He looked up, his eyes and smile giving away his mild interest. "What exactly are you asking?"

"Well you just told me to sign my name and there wasn't any blank spots so I don't know who I signed up for. Could you direct me?"

His smile widened just slightly so that it was barely a smirk. "You signed up for time with me. I hope that is to your liking."

I felt my face flush. Was fate determined to make me humiliate myself in front of this boy? "Oh." Kyoya's eyes settled back on the screen of his laptop. Feeling awkward, I took a seat across from him. For about thirty seconds, we were wrapped in silence. Me from my nervousness and Kyoya... probably because he didn't give a care about being here. Well that made two of us. Slumping in my chair a bit, I sighed to get his attention. "Now what?"

He stopped typing and looked up at me, his thin framed glasses catching the light of whatever lighting fixture was on the ceiling behind me. "Is there anything you wanted to discuss?"

"Uh... why am I the only one sitting with you?" I asked, unable to think of anything else to say.

He looked around, almost as if he had just noticed the absense of other guests at the table. "It appears that you are my final guest of the afternoon. All other ladies have already had their turn." He glanced at me one more time before returning his attention to his laptop.

I sighed after while, sinking a little lower in my seat. Really? This was it? "Am I really just supposed to sit here while you play on your computer? No offense but it seems like all the other hosts are at least putting forth an effort."

His mouth turned up so that it was barely a smile. He reached forward and closed his laptop before placing it to the side. He folded his forearms on the table and leaned forward a small amount, his eyes trained on me. "Alright. What is it that you want to talk about Miss. Yukimura?"

I blushed, wishing I had just dropped it. What on earth am I supposed to talk about? The weather? Not happening. "You're a third year." I stated without thinking.

The corner of his mouth twitched. I was beginning to wonder why anyone would request him if he always wanted to act hauty about every little topic. "Yes, and so are you." He said.

"Do you like going to school here?" I tried again, a litter happier with the conversation topic. At least it was a properly formed question.

"This is a fine institution and I am content with my time here." He answered, his face barely moving. Was this guy made of stone or something?

"You make it sound like a prison sentence." I blurted out. I resisted the urge to hit myself on the forehead. Why on earth do I say the first thing that pops into my mind?

His eyes, that were relaxed before, narrowed just a little. His smile faltered for a second before returning with a new coldness. "Tell me about yourself Miss. Yukimura. When did you arrive in the country?" I didn't overlook the fact that he was changing the topic on me.

"Yesterday." I admited.

"And how long are you planning on staying in Tokyo?"

I frowned, unable to resist the sadness that was trying to take over me. My eyes downcast, I lowered my voice. "Four months. Until the end of the semester." I looked up just enough to see his face. Whatever he saw on my face has made his eyes widen and his smile vanish. The look he was giving me... it made me feel...

"Don't look so sad princess. Has my friend frightened you?" Someone said and I looked up in suprise. The tall, blonde boy-Tamaki- was standing over me, smiling kindly.

"Huh?"

"Has he frightened you? I can punish him for you if you'd like." He spoke again, giving me an almost conspiratorial grin. As funny as it would be seeing this glasses wearing jerk 'punished', I doubt he'd take too kindly to it. And I really didn't need such a well liked enemy.

I shook my head. "No, that's okay. He hasn't done anything."

Tamaki offered his hand. "I'm afraid your time is up with my friend and the guests are leaving. Pardon us."

Taking his hand, I let him help me up from my chair. Glancing at Kyoya one last time, I went to join Mina and Rinae, who were both waiting by the door. The girls took hold of my arms and practically drug me from the room. Rinae was the first to speak. "Oh. My. Gosh. You are a legend."

I gave her a weird stare. "What did I do?"

Mina answered my question. "In the whole history of the host club, no guest has ever gotten the shadow king's complete attention. He put his computer aside and leaned right over the table to talk to you."

"And that's good?"

"Good? That's epic. You should've seen all the jealous stares you were getting from Kyoya's other guests. And you got one on one time with him."

I blushed then remembered something important. "I never paid my registration fee he was talking to us about."

"Don't worry. He can bill us later. And it's not some massive fee, don't worry. Just fifty thousand yen a year and since you're leaving after the first semester, he'll only charge you half." Mina explained.

"I thought I told you guys I was only going once." I tried to argue, a little frightened by the posibility of paying five hundred dollars to the host club or even just half.

"That was if you didn't want to ever go again after today." Rinae corrected.

When we were all the way down the main strairs, about to head outside, Mina stopped us. "So answer honestly. Do you want to go back?"

She had me facing her, giving me no room to lie. I tried to just tell her that I didn't want to go back again but the more I thought about it... That look he gave me... I gave her a sheepish smile. "Maybe I could go back again tomorrow if I don't have too much homework."

Rinae squealed and Mina gave me a triumphant grin. "And that means we win. Alright, let's go get coffee." Three frapechinos later, we parted ways and headed home.


	3. One On One Time With The Hosts

**HEY. :) WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK SO FAR? PLEASE LET ME KNOW. REVIEWS ARE ALWAYS AWESOME.**

**DISCLAIMER: YOU KNOW THE DRILL. :P**

Avianna's POV:

**Chapter Three:**

When I got back to Mark's, I first noticed that the front door was wide open and several of the maids were running all over the place. It didn't take long to realize they were looking for me. Mark was standing near the stairs, talking with Mr. Kobayashi. "Uh, what's going on?"

Every set of eyes darted to me. Several emotions crossed over Mark's face. Suprise, relief, annoyance and finally anger. "Where the hell were you?" He nearly shouted.

I blinked a few times in suprise. This is the first time I've ever seen Mark angry. It kind of made me feel like I used to feel when my dad was upset with me for doing something wrong. "I was going to a club meeting."

"What club? Why didn't you call anyone? Mr. Kobayashi was parked outside the school for an hour and you never showed." Mark told me, still using that nearly yelling voice. "I was ten seconds away from calling your mother. She would've forced you to return to America if she heard about this."

"I'm sorry. I really am." I tried to explain. "I made some friends and they wanted me to visit the school's host club and so I registered."

"Host club?" Mark muttered, looking a little less angry but still miffed.

Mr. Kobayashi interceded. "I looked into the school's history as you requested sir. The host club was founded two years ago by the chairman's son. It's a social club, meant for drinking tea and casual conversation."

Mark's redened face returned to almost its normal color. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his perfectly combed black hair. "Okay... Let's just calm down and have dinner. You say you made friends and signed up for a club? That's great. Your mother will be happy to know you're adjusting." Mark sinked back into his normally nervous behavior then. We hardly even spoke during dinner.

As the butler cleared off the plates, I downed the rest of my water and cleared my throat. "Are you okay with me going to this club?"

"How long does it usually run?"

"I'm not sure. It's one of those clubs where you can leave at any time. The meeting today ran until five and then I went to the campus coffee shop with some friends."

He raised an eyebrow. "Who are the friends?"

"There names are Mina and Rinae."

He looked like he was thinking it through as he stood from his chair. "Alright. You can stay for the club. Why don't you and I sit in the parlor. We should discuss a few rules while you're staying here."

Grimacing, I followed him out of the kitchen and across the threshold of the house. A maid ran ahead of us to open the doors. The parlor was a little living room. The very left wall had a fireplace with two sofas positioned next to it, a piano and some bookshelves against the wall opposite the door and a chess table on the right wall. Mark went to sit on one of the sofas and I sat across from him on the other. When the maids had left, he began.

"Alright. I know you're seventeen and I'm not your mother but I am your brother and guardian until you return to the United States. I won't keep you trapped in the house or anything. This is a very safe section of town we live in. So on weekdays, your curfew is nine. And if you're going to be late getting home, inform either me or Mr. Kobayashi by calling us. On weekends, your curfew is ten. Can we agree to that?"

I nodded. "Completely."

"And I'm not really certain on how to handle allowance for you. Wanting to start the bid?"

I thought back to the money already sitting in my wallet that Mark had told Mr. Kobayashi to put in there. I also though of the large amount of money that my dad left me that I hid under the matress of my new bed. "I'm honestly not sure. I already have the money you gave me earlier and stuff."

"Then we'll stick with ten thousand yen a week and be done with it." He waved his hand and pulled out his phone. He looked at the screen for a second. "And I've got a meeting in thirty minutes so I need to leave. I'm sure you can handle yourself. Here in Japan, you have to go to school on saturdays but this coming sunday, you could go with Mr. Kobayashi and do some shopping. Uh... Not sure what teenage girls like to do."

I resisted the urge to snort. "Is it necessary that I have a babysitter wherever I go?"

He was distracted with a phonecall then. He looked at me and put the phone against his shoulder. "I guess not. Just be careful and at least go with friends if you're going anywhere outside of the neighborhood. Stay on this side of town." He left the room quickly then, speaking to someone on the phone in Japanese.

The rest of that night, I was more on edge than I've ever been in my life. I couldn't even begin to explain what was causing this. All I knew was that this feeling started after I left the host club with Mina and Rinae. Even after a long, hot shower, I was still jittery and tense. Sitting at my computer, I clicked on the browser and opened the google search engine.

_Ouran Academy_

Several results were brought up. At the top of the list was the Ouran Website. Clicking the link, I looked at the front page of the site. It was decorated in pastel colors and each clickable button was written in gold. One specifically caught my eye. 'club pictures'. A few pictures scattered the page then, all from different clubs. The largest picture in the middle of the screen was of the host club in last year's uniforms. Clicking it, it enlarged and brought me to the host club's gallery.

A few pictures in, I sucked in a sharp breath of air. Pressing my lips together, I tried to keep calm. No use. I burst out laughing, causing a maid to rush in to make sure I was alright. I waved my hands, unable to breath from how hard I was laughing. She gave me a funny look and left. I looked at the screen again, my eyes watering. It was a picture of each host dressed as a woman. Even Kyoya. He was decked out in a poofy red and black gown, a long black wig and bright red lips. I right clicked the photo and saved it in the computer's picture folder.

The rest were of them in various cosplay but none of them were as epic as the crossdressing photo. Going back to the search engine, I drummed my fingers on the keys, trying to think of what to look up next. I took a deep breath.

_Kyoya Ootori_

I shook my head, afraid to click enter. Why on earth am I looking him up online? "Curiosity?" I whispered, unfortunately trying to reason with myself. Without thinking about it, I clicked enter. Several results came up. At the top of the list was a link for an article on something called 'The Ootori Legacy'. The link went on and on about Kyoya's father, a Yoshio Ootori, rising to the top and creating a medical empire. Reminded me of what Mark was trying to do. About halfway through the article, it showed a photo of Kyoya with two other boys about Mark's age. His brothers?

I sighed and exited the browser. What on earth am I doing? One thing's certain. If I'm going to get any peace of mind about living here, I need to stay away from the computer. Shutting down the laptop, I got up and semi stumbled my way into the bathroom where I stuck my head in the sink and let the cold water run over my hair. The almost icy water helped me think straight.

"Miss. Yukimura, someone is at the door for you. Miss. Yukimura! What are you doing?" I turned my head to the side and stared wide eyed at the startled maid standing in the bathroom entryway. Turning off the water, I rung out my hair and dried it as best as I could with a towel from the towl rack.

"Sorry. The water felt good." I said, blushing. Everyone here probably thinks I'm a freak. "What were you saying?"

She bowed. "A visitor at the door."

As I pulled my hair down from the hairtie and began to tie it in a messy bun, I raised an eyebrow. "Who would visit at this time of night?" The maid followed me as I exited the bathroom and left my room.

"I believe he's a messenger. He has a gift for you I believe."

"Alright?" The maid rushed ahead of me to open the door. Practically hopping down the steps, I went to see who was there. The man standing at the door was a little younger looking than Mr. Kobayashi. He was dressed in a nice looking suit and was standing with his hands folded behind his back. "Hi. Can I help you?"

He bowed low for a second before standing up straight again. "I've brought a package for a Miss. Yukimura." He brought one hand from behind his back, presenting a gold rectangle box with a red bow tied around it. He handed it to me and bowed again.

"Who's this from?" I asked.

The man stood upright again. "A gift from the young masters of Ouran's host club. As custom for all new members. They told me to convey to you their apologies for the lateness of the delivery. There were other matters to attend to today. Good day." He spun around on one foot and walked out to a waiting car.

When he had driven away, I shut the front door and stared at the package. Maybe it was my bill. I noticed a few curious maids looking around the corner. Rushing back up the stairs, I stole into my room and sat at the vanity. Sitting the box on the vanity, I pulled off the ribbon and then the box lid. The box contained a letter in a red envelope with a real wax seal, a little seperate paper and a smaller golden box tied with a red ribbon.

Upon closer expection of the little paper, my assumption was correct. Darn it. A registration bill. The registration bill was for two thousand yen, obviously just payment for my single visit. Picking up the envelope, I carefully broke the seal and pulled out the letter. The letter was creamy colored with a deep read outline. It was handwritten with a fountain pen judging by the appearance.

_Dear Miss. Yukimura,_

_ The Host Club welcomes you and hopes you will return for more meetings to come. If it _

_pleases you, consider returning tomorrow afternoon where we will be presenting a _

_special suprise theme. As is custom, a registration bill has been sent. If you have found your_

_time with the Host Club in any way unacceptable, please file a complaint and any fees will be_

_waved. _

_ If you have any questions or concerns, you can find us at Ouran Academy in Music Room 3, Monday through Saturday from 3 to 5. Also included for you is a small gift to show our appreciation for registering. _

_With sincere thanks,_

_Your friends of the Host Club_

Gift? Oh, the little box. Picking it up, I pulled off the ribbon and opened it to find a gold chained necklace. The pendant was a small, almost perfectly round transparent stone with a gold tint. **(A/N: Hey. :D Want to see a picture of the necklace? Go to my profile and locate the link.)**

"Wow..." It was really pretty but I had a very bad feeling that they spent a lot on it. Were the people of the host club so rich that they could shell out real gold necklaces as a 'small gift' to new guests? I should show this to Mina and Rinae tomorrow and see if they have one too. They were new guests at one point too.

When I finally went to bed that night, I tossed in turned for a long while. The exhaustion I felt that helped me sleep last night did not greet me until well past midnight. Even after I was fast asleep, my blury dreams kept me alert and unsure. Although nothing was very clear in them, I remembered very distinctly the sound of my father's voice as I dreamed of him.

_"You've always been good at making the right decisions Avi. I'm really proud of you."_

_"Thanks dad."_

_"What's going to be your next step?"_

_"I guess just try to get settled in. If I don't try to enjoy myself at least a little, I'll regret moving here and I don't want to regret it."_

_"I don't want you to regret it either. This is going to be a very important time in your life."_

_"Important?"_

_"A lot will happen before you return home. If returning home is what you want."_

_"I do want to return home eventually... I can't just leave mom until I graduate. She needs me..."_

_"She has her mother and mine to look after her. And me. I'm always here for the both of you."_

_"That means a lot..."_

_"I love you Avi."_

_"I love you too."_

_"Wake up."_

My bleary eyes slowly opened, bringing back to reality. Glancing over at the little clock on my bedside table, I saw that the alarm was going to go off any minute. Reaching over, I switched it off and unwillingly got out of bed. Time to get ready for school. At least that was one thing I could count on to feel normal. School work. Since everything else in this country so far has made me feel like I was in some alternate universe. Before heading to the bathroom to take a shower, my eyes locked on the golden necklace sitting on my vanity.

By the time I was ready and walking down the stairs, Mark was already walking out the door. He stopped long enough to give me an awkward hug before leaving for work. Mr. Kobayashi was there right away to hand me my school bag and escort me to the dining room for breakfast. "Should I assume that you'll be staying until five today?"

"Um, yeah." I honestly wasn't sure if I'd stay for the host club but if I had two hours to kill after school, I could always explore the campus.

"Will you be walking home again or shall I pick you up?" As he spoke, he motioned for someone to come forward. A maid rounded the corner that led to the kitchen and sat a bowl of what looked like oatmeal but probably wasn't in front of me.

I thought about it. The walk yesterday was nice and I really could use the exorcise. "I'll walk."

I felt awkward just sitting there and eating while Mr. Kobayashi stood with his back rod straight in a corner of the room. He checked his watch quickly before snapping in the direction of the arch that led into the entryway. A moment later, a maid came and handed him a set of keys. He turned to me. "When would you like to leave? You're up early this morning."

After an experimental bite of the food, I tried to hide the look of disgust with my napkin. I chewed quickly and swallowed. Nasty. "Now would be great." Jumping up, I practically ran past him, praying he wouldn't insist I finish whatever was in the bowl.

Even with me walking more quickly than I usually did, Mr. Kobayashi made it to the car before me and opened the door. Getting in, I rolled my eyes. I'm sure it was convenient and all but all the maids and butlers and chauffers seemed unnecessary. When we arrived at the school, I was suprised to see no limos in the drop off zone. The campus looked practically deserted. "Where is everybody?" I asked before getting out of the car.

"It's only six forty-five in the borning Miss. Yukimura. Only teachers normally show up this early at any school."

Oh. I frowned. Well at least I won't have to talk to anybody. I could possibly see if the library was open. I did need to see their book selection. Saying goodbye to Mr. Kobayashi, I walked up the large marble steps, school bag in hand. Not even the valets were there to open the door for me. I stared at the large, heavy looking double doors. Would I be able to get one open? Shrugging, I grabbed onto a handle with both hands and pulled. It took some effort but it finally opened. Darting through the door before it closed, I ran a few feet into the foyer.

I looked around. Empty. Scanning the massive room, I tried to find something that would point the way to the library. Unfortunately, that sign that had a map of the building on it was missing. I thought about digging through my bag for my other map but decided to just wing it. I walked up the main stairs, my eyes looking around for some sort of direction board. I could faintly hear the sound of a photocopier being used in the main office. I would've gone in and asked Miss. Emi if she knew where the library was but the idea that the chairman might be there made me decide against it.

Taking a turn down the hallway to the right, I looked at the signs next to each door. Floor B. I shivered a bit. The sun wasn't completely up yet and none of the lights in this hallway were on. It was sort of creepy. As I made my way to the end of the hallway, recognition hit me. This was the hallway I was dragged down yesterday for the host club. And there's the doors. Listening carefully, I could faintly hear the sound of laughing coming from inside the room. Were guests in there this early? I doubted it. All the laughing is coming from deeper voices. The host club must come here in the morning to hang out.

"Try this one on next please." I heard someone say.

"Guys, this is stupid. Do I have to?"

"Yes!" Two voices yelled at once.

But maybe Mina and Rinae are here. I'd feel a lot better if I weren't walking down dark hallways by myself. It was a stupid, but I couldn't stand the dark. I even have to sleep with a lamp on at night. I'm not sure what it is about it that scares me so much. Maybe it's the unknown. The fact that anything could be lurking in it and you'd never know what it was. Considering I was in a school, I shouldn't assume that something freaky was hiding in the shadows.

I reached gingerly for one of the door handles. Placing my hand on it, I started to turn it. When I had the door handle almost completely pulled down, a clicking sound echoed through the empty hallway. The laughing suddenly stopped followed by a lot of whispering and running around. Too late to turn back now I guess. I opened the door then. It was brighter than the hallway but not by much. They only had a few of the wall lights lit and none of the overhead ones.

Sitting on a sofa to the very right of the door, in a very provocative embrace, was the twins and sitting on the sofa across from theirs was Tamaki Suoh and the brunette boy. Haruhi? He was wrapped up in a large gold blanket, only his feet sticking out from it. His legs were bare I noticed. I wasn't sure, but it looked like something pink was sticking out of the blanket near his legs. I looked away quickly. I spotted the little blonde boy and his dark haired cousin sitting at one of the tables near the back of the room. Judging by the gum smacking sounds and the arm movement of the little one, one or both of them were eating.

As the Tamaki guy stood up and advanced towards me, my eyes sweeped the room and found Kyoya Ootori typing on his laptop while he sat on a window seat. He paused and looked up at me. The room was too dark for me to see his expression. "My my. I see that we have a guest." Tamaki Suoh said, his eyes bright. "And so early in the morning too. What's brought you to my kingdom princess?"

I gave Tamaki Suoh a dubious stare. Was he serious? "I was looking for my friends." I told him.

"Ah but look no further." He said with a dramatic sigh. He dropped to one knee and produced a red rose from who knows where. "For I have desired for so long to be that friend that you turn to princess. Please say you'll be mine."

Okay, that does it. "You have got to be kidding me." I whispered, trying really hard not to call him names. He was acting like a straight up dan juan. "I'm flattered but I seriously just want to find my friends."

I was suprised when the twins jumped up and threw Tamaki back. He fell on his butt, evident suprise on his face. Each twin circled around me before wrapping their arms around my shoulders and waist. My eyes widened in worry. What were these guys playing? "Get lost boss. Can't you see she's not into you?" One of the twins said.

The other one removed an arm from around my waist and grabbed hold of my chin gently, making me look at him. "I'll bet she's into a guy like me." His wide, devilish smile told me imediately that he was the bad boy type but his eyes told me that he didn't mean a word of what he was saying.

The other twin grabbed my chin and made me look at him. "Or me." His smile mirrored his brother's but his eyes were even more vacant.

"Nono!" I heard a babyish voice yell. I jerked my face away and watched as the little blonde boy and the dark haired boy approached us. The boy hugged a pink stuffed rabbit and stared at me and the twins with wide light brown eyes. "She's Kyou chan's guest, not yours! Remember? She signed up for him yesterday."

I heard both of the twins groan in frustration. "Awww. Not fair."

Now that I was free, I made up my mind to leave the room. These people were starting to freak me out. Unfortunately, the little boy grabbed my hand. His grib was suprisingly firm. "Hi! You can call me Honey! They call me that cause I like sweets! Wanna eat cake with me?"

The brunette boy stood up then. He wrapped the blanket more tightly around him and walked up to us. "Seriously guys. Can't you see you're freaking her out. Let her go Honey senpai, please."

Honey let go of me right away, his smile brighter than ever. "Alright Haru chan! Come on Takashi! Cake time!"

"Nice to meet you." The girlish looking brunette smiled. I decided right away that I wanted to be friends with this guy. He looked honest. His eyes never showed any emotion other than what he was feeling as far as I could tell. "I'm Haruhi Fugioka. If you'd like, I can make you some tea and bring you something to eat while you wait for your friends."

I was still hungry since I didn't finish my breakfast. I nodded, smiling politely. "Thank you."

"No problem. Choose any seat you'd like and I'll be back in a few minutes." Haruhi walked in the direction of an already lit kitchen but took a turn into an open room near it. I walked in the direction of a large cluster of tables and took a seat next to one of the wall lights. I could see Kyoya from here. I was about ten feet away. He was typing on his laptop again. I saw Haruhi rush from the room, now dressed in his uniform. "Be right there." He said cheerfully before ducking into the kitchen.

The overhead lights flicked on then and I sighed in relief. I glanced at Kyoya again, trying to be sneaky about it but failed when I realized that he was already glancing at me. His face was downcast, looking at the computer, but his eyes were shifted upwards. When he locked his eyes with mine, he looked completely up. His lips were turned down in the corners and his eyes were very dark looking. He looked like he was in a bad mood. His narrowed eyes relaxed just a bit when I didn't look away, as if to say that he wasn't upset with anything I've done.

He smiled just a bit but it wasn't friendly at all. More of a formal, forced smile. "I see that you've recieved the host club's gift to you." He said politely. I broke eye contact with him and looked down at the golden necklace around my neck. When I looked back up, he had already gone back to typing on his computer.

"Here you are." Haruhi said, startling me by how close he was. He stood next to the table, holding a tray. Wow. I didn't even hear him approach. He sat with me and made casual conversation while I drank my tea and ate a slice of strawberry cake. When I finished, he stood and took the tray.

"Wait." I called as he began walking away. "What do I owe you for your time?"

He turned around and smiled. "Nothing at all. I'm off duty." He bowed formally before exiting the room. Owe. Oh yes. My registration fee. Opening my school bag, I pulled out a thin white envelope containing payment for the whole semester. If I'm going to go to this club every now and then, I want to just get the payment out of the way. I'd still have to pay smaller fees for my dayly visits but this would cover my registration.

Walking up to Kyoya, I shyly handed him the envelope. He took it, looking a bit confused. I explained. "My registration fee. It's payment for the whole semester. I hope it's enough."

Realization lightened his eyes. He opened the envelope quickly and emptied its contents out into his hand. He counted it quickly before giving me that fake looking smile again. "Yes, this is exactly right. Thank you Miss. Yukimura. I'll mark you as paid in full right away."

Nodding, I left the room, wanting to get out of there. I shook my head. That was so awkward. To my relief, all the lights had been turned on by the time I left the room and people were starting to arrive. Alright. First thing's first. Find Mina and Rinae.


	4. The Gazebo

**SORRY FOR THE WAIT ON THE CHAPTER UPDATE. I JUST FINISHED WRITING 'DEEP WATERS' AND NOW I HAVE MORE TIME TO PUT INTO THIS STORY. :) BUT I AM CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A JOB SO THAT WILL TAKE UP A BIT OF TIME.**

**DISCLAIMER: YOU KNOW THE DRILL. :P**

**!CHAPTER SONG? - Well I was listening to a couple specifically and they helped the words flow a little better. **

**Imogen Heap- The Walk**

**Frou Frou- Hear Me Out**

**Both are really great songs and I highly recomend them.**

Avianna's POV:

Rinae arrived at school ten minutes later and Mina arrived five minutes after her. When we met up, I told them about the necklace. They both examined it.

"They did give us gifts. We noticed that each guest got a different gift back when the club was new." Mina explained. "Some recieved chocolates, some recieved a bracelet."

"The guests of Tamaki each recieved seashells that were hand picked off the beach in Hawaii. This is the first time they've ever given a necklace. It might be what they're gonna do for all new guests this year." Rinae said, shrugging.

"The weird thing is that gifts are picked out by the host that the guest first designates. And that necklace looks like something Tamaki would pick out, not Kyoya." Mina observed.

I looked at the gold gem stone. Yeah. It really didn't look like something Kyoya would select. Maybe he never picks out gifts for his guests and just leaves it to Tamaki. But then again, what do I really know about Kyoya? Nothing really. Speak of the devil. The entire club was walking down the main stairs together. Mina and Rinae squealed and I rolled my eyes. It was really pathetic to see every girl in the hallway swoon and scream like a gaggle of fangirls.

Mina and Rinae were quick to run ahead of me and strike up a conversation with Tamaki. Oh well... I was about to walk in the direction of my first hour math class but someone called my name. I turned around, a little suprised to see Haruhi run up to me. "Avianna san. I'm sorry to bother you. You dropped this in the club room."

He handed me the keychain I had hooked to the handle of my school bag before going to school this morning. It was a little plastic orchid that my grandmother had found for me in a novelty shop last year. "Thank you." I smiled before hooking it back to my bag handle.

He bowed. "Your welcome. I suppose I'll see you after school for the club meeting?"

I nodded, still a little suprised by how girlish he looked. "Sure."

He ran back to his friends then, the twins dragging him off right away in what I guessed was the direction of their first class. Mina and Rinae glanced over at me, big smiles on their faces. Rinae motioned for me to approach. Sitting my bag on the side of the steps where nobody would accidently trip over it, I ran over to them. Tamaki Suoh was showing them some sort of pamphlet. On closer inspection, I saw that it was a little guide to all the highlights in Okinawa.

"Avianna! You'll never believe what location the school chose for their beginning of the year trip!" Rinae squealed. "They've chosen Okinawa!"

"Really? When?" Okinawa? I have always wanted to visit there. They've got beautiful beaches. Mina answered my question.

"In three weeks. During the first two weeks of school, they watch over the grades and test scores of each student. A week before the trip is scheduled, they announce the top ten students from every grade and those students get to go on the trip. Wouldn't it be great if we all got to go?"

"And that's not the best part." Rinae told me, her eyes almost as big as her smile. "Since Tamaki is the chairman's son and Kyoya's the class president for our grade, they'll both definately be going on the trip. Oh! I hope the rest of the hosts get to go too. Tamaki senpai? Do you think that everyone from the club will get to go?"

Tamaki sighed and smiled flirtatously like the dan juan he is. "I really do hope so. But if not, I'm more than content with the fact that I'll get to go on this trip with you lovely ladies. That is... if we all make it..."

Rinae and Mina went straight into ultimate fangirl mode. This was my cue to leave. Glancing back at them, I backed down the stairs and grabbed my bag. I was halfway up the stairs that led to my math class when I heard someone else step onto the marble steps. Looking back cautiously, I saw Kyoya following about five feet behind me. I gulped and looked back towards the front, quickening my pace. Running right into my class, I took a seat and kept my eyes locked on the assignment written on the board.

Kyoya walked into the classroom next. He took his seat at the desk to the left of mine and pulled a book out of his bag. He had just opened it up to the page he left off at when the bell rang. The teacher was out of her seat right away, telling us all about the scheduled trip. I reluctantly looked away from the dark haired host, knowing I'd end up not listening to anything the teacher said if my eyes remained on him.

To my dismay, we were being paired off into groups of two to work on a worksheet packet that would take up the whole hour. At least it was selective. But who did I know in this class other than Kyoya? I'd probably earn quite a few enemies if I tried to work with him. I located a few of Kyoya's guests sitting in this class. Then who? "Want to be my partner?" I jumped and looked in the direction of who spoke. Oh yeah.

"Hey Hiro. Sure." We pulled our desks together and took one of the packets that the teacher was passing around the class. I glanced over at Kyoya again. He wasn't working with anyone. Counting, I noticed that there was an odd number of students. That's kind of sad. It wasn't really fair that he didn't have a partner.

Hiro must've noticed my staring cause he explained it for me. "I've been in the same class as him since freshman year. He never works with a partner and the teachers never push it. He's a loner." He whispered.

I looked back at Hiro. "It makes you wonder why he joined the host club if he's a loner." I said idly.

"There must be something in it for him. Tamaki's his best friend so he might be doing it as a friendly gesture." He said quietly before shrugging. We did several of the problems before we spoke again. "Maybe..." Hiro mumbled. "He's doing it because Tamaki is the chairman's son and he wants to be some sort of teacher's pet to the school."

I grimmaced. That's a little mean to assume. I mean, yeah, Kyoya's a bit of an ice king. Or best friend of a 'king' but I can't see him as the type to do something so superficial. Kyoya was the first to finish his packet, even without a partner. When he turned it in, he sat back at his desk and went right back to reading his book. The same book he read yesterday. He could speak and read English. I wonder if everyone else here can to.

I turned to Hiro again. "Can you speak English?" I asked.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Nah. Not at all. Why?"

I shrugged. "I've just met people here who can."

"Well I really should learn English. My father's been encouraging it. I've asked around, trying to find someone who could speak it so they could teach me but nobody can. The school really should offer an English program."

I thought about offering but I wasn't a very good teacher and I wasn't sure how much patience I would have with teaching someone a different language. I eyed Kyoya. "Kyoya can speak English."

Hiro eyed the before mentioned boy and frowned. "Ah, no that's alright. He kind of weirds me out. I'll just ask my father to hire a tudor."

That was the last thing we said on the matter. Ten minutes later, the packet was done and we went on to talk about the upcoming trip. At the end of class, when everyone was getting their stuff together and turning in the packets, I could've sworn I saw Kyoya looking right in my direction. By the time I turned to check, his eyes were already trained on his book.

Before I could hide the fact that I had been looking at him, the blonde chick who spent yesterday glaring at me walked right between our desks, blocking my view of him. "Kyoya! How are you?"

I tuned them out then. They can talk about whatever they want? What business is it of mine? I can't wait till this class is over... As hard as I tried not to listen, the second he responded to her question, my attention was caught. "I'm well Megumi san. I was just talking with your father the other day and he tells me he's offering funding for the upcoming trip."

She giggled. "Yes. I'll be definately going on the trip. We should see about sitting together on the plane."

I wanted to hear his response, for whatever reason, but the sound of the bell drowned him out. I wasn't even sure if he properly said goodbye to her. Just like yesterday, he was up and out of the class before I could even get my bearings. I spent the rest of the day thinking on what his response would be. Did he like her? Why did it matter to me? It shouldn't. Didn't. Doesn't! Grrr...

School eventually ended and I was on my way to the club room with Mina and Rinae. Rinae came up the idea of going shopping at the Masami Plaza tomorrow to which I was greatful. Shopping with people my age sounded a lot more enticing then shopping on my own with a middle aged dude in a tux watching my every move. No offense to Mr. Kobayashi. Since tomorrow was sunday, we could be out and about all day.

After being a guest for the club once, I got the basic jist of signing myself up for time with a host. First come, first serve. You want to get a specific host? Fight for your spot. It didn't really matter who to me but I kept hearing talk of people earning the name host hopper for choosing a different host everyday and I really didn't need that kind of attention so I better sign up for Kyoya. Pushing my way through the crowd at the door, I stood near the front of the line with Mina and Rinae. I took a deep breath. Alright. Here we go.

The doors of Music Room 3 swung open and we all rushed up to the sign up table. To my amazment, I was the first to get my hands on the board. Signing inside the box labeled 'Kyoya', I passed the clipboard to Mina and dug my way out of the crowd. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to Kyoya's table, the blonde girl named Megumi was already sitting in one of the chairs. Oh great... she's in my group. I went to sit in the remaining chair but another girl walked past me and took it.

My eyes scanned the nearby tables for a spare chair but couldn't find one anywhere. Megumi gave me an icy smile. Cold as it was, it was no match for Kyoya's 'I hate the world' smile that he'd been using everytime he was forced to be polite. I smiled back dryly. Kyoya didn't even notice the exchange. His eyes were on the papers in his hands. He wrote something on one of them and sat them aside before looking up at the girls around his table. His eyes landed on me and he gave me a confused look as if to say 'why the heck are you just standing there?'. Looking at the floor, I turned around and walked right out of the club room.

I couldn't say if I was happy or unhappy that no one followed me from the room. I settled for happy. I hated negative attention. Pitying or otherwise. I walked quickly down the stairs and directly out the back door near the cafeteria. I took a deep breath. The garden... A large fountain was directly across from the door, a massive maze to the right of it. The green maze stretched on for about an acre or more, little specs of red and white on it. I smiled. Roses. I love roses.

Running ahead, I walked through the green arched entrance. Large bushes towered on each side of me. Ivy like leaves had been wrapped around each bush, red and white roses blooming on them. Some type of cross breed plant. It didn't take long at all to get completely lost. With as much money as this school has, you'd think they could afford to put some signs in the maze so people could find their way back out. The path twisted this way and that, leading me in I don't even know which direction. Giving up on trying to find my way out, I turned around and tried to retrace my steps.

I must've made a wrong turn because I walked right into a big clearing filled with wildflowers. Against the far side of the clearing was a little white gazebo with red and white roses wrapped all around it. Well I did need a break after walking for so long. I've probably been lost in here for at least half an hour. I could rest here and read a book. Walking over to the gazebo, I took a seat and dug the book we were reading in Literature class out of my bag. I was halfway through chapter three when I began to nod off. Setting the book aside, I crossed my arms on the table and laid my head on them. Before I knew it, I was fast asleep.

_"Well there you have it. What do you think? Would you like to go to a school like that?" _

_A nine year old me sat on my father's lap while he surfed the web. He went to the website of a very pretty looking school. Ouran Academy. "It's really pretty."_

_He laughed. "It really was. Looking past all the wealth, the school was beautiful. Everything about it was so put together, one never wanted to leave. I enjoyed my time there very much. If you were to go to school there now, you'd go to their elementary school. Let me show you a picture."_

_He clicked something and a picture of a bunch of kids either my age or around that ran around a playground. In the background was the back of a big building. My eyes scanned the crowd of students that looked Japanese, just like me. I looked away from the picture and stared up at my dad. "Can I go there?"_

_He raised an eyebrow. "You want to go there? It's all the way in Tokyo, Japan."_

_Looking back at the computer, I looked at the photo again. "Yes. Let's move there."_

_He chuckled. "We don't have the money to move all the way there. Besides... it's not as nice as you think..."_

_Reaching up, I clicked the mouse and the picture changed to the next one in the gallery. It was a picture of a classroom of students. Sitting at the front of the class, the focus of the photo, was a little dark haired boy in glasses. His features were positioned so perfectly, I found him very attractive, even as a child. "He's a pretty boy."_

_Dad laughed loudly. "If they're a boy, you don't say pretty, you say handsome."_

_"Okay. He's a handsome boy." I stared at the picture. The boy had a book in his hands. He looked almost startled, as if he wasn't aware until the last minute that he was having his picture taken. _

_Before I could ask him who the boy was, he closed the browser and carried me into the kitchen for a snack._

My eyes opened slowly, bringing me back to reality. I didn't lift my head up from my hands at first. My mind went back through the dream. The little boy in the glasses was... "Did you sleep well?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin then. My head shot up, my heart pounding. I placed a hand over my heart. "You scared me! What are you doing here?"

Kyoya Ootori sat across from me, a book in his hands. He had several papers on the table in front of him along with his laptop. He closed the book and sat it aside. He propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his folded hands. "I was working on my reading asignment as I usually do. This gazebo is my private working space. I started using it when I first started going to school here. So imagine how suprised I was to find you sitting in my seat."

The hauty tone in his voice earned a glare from me. "This isn't yours. It belongs to every student. Anyone can sit here." Crossing my arms, I leaned back in my seat. I wasn't about to get up and leave. He'd think he won.

He opened his eyes a little wider, his brows raising. "I suppose you're right. But don't you think you should be getting home Miss. Yukimura?"

My eyes widened and I grabbed my bag and dug my phone out of it. 4:56. I needed to be home at 5:15. I shook my head and returned my phone and my book back to my bag. "Not yet."

I leaned back against the wrap around bench. When it finally dawned on him that I wasn't going anywhere, he leaned back and opened his laptop. Whatever he was doing, it required a lot of typing. My eyes scanned the clearing, trying to think of something to say to break the awkward silence. When I couldn't come up with anything, I just settled for staring at the logo on the back of his laptop. It was a very expensive looking laptop. "What on earth are you typing anyway?" I said before I could think.

The way his sharp eyes darted up and bore into mine made me wish I hadn't spoke. They weren't hostile, just very fierce, like whatever he was typing had him in a very determined mood. He didn't even respond. He just looked back down and went right back to typing ridiculously fast. Well that's rude. Standing up, I walked around the table and sat beside him. I could tell by the way his shoulders tensed that he noticed.

I leaned over in his direction, just enough to see the screen. He was writing some sort of schedule. After a moment's observation, I saw that he was fixing up a list of themes for each meeting the club will have this month. He was doing a lot of editing and he kept going back and forth between this document and another document that had the club's budget written on it. He saved both documents and closed out of them before shutting the computer screen. He looked over at me, obvious frustration in his eyes.

"I apologize Miss. Yukimura but I have no time for conversation." He said formally, just barely hiding the agitation in his voice.

"Fine." I guess this is his spot and he doesn't have to pay any attention to me. Standing up, I grabbed my bag and practically stormed off. I was just around the corner of the arch that led to the maze when I stopped. What am I doing? I'm acting like a little kid. If I'm going to continue to show up for club meetings to keep Mina and Rinae happy then I'd rather not be on bad terms with my selected host.

It'd just be so much easier if he wasn't so hostile. What is it that's making him be so rude to me anyway? He's at least partway polite with all the other guests. Swallowing my pride, I rounded the corner to the clearing and walked right up to him. By the time I stopped a few feet from the gazebo, he was already looking up at me with slight curiosity. I bowed for a second like all the other people here do to show respect. "I'm sorry."

When I stood back upright, he had turned his legs so that he was completely facing me. He bowed his head. "I apologize too. I've been disagreeable. What my father says shouldn't affect my manners."

I stared at him blankly. "Huh?"

He seemed almost suprised. "You don't know? I figured you would. Nevermind then. I'll see you monday in class." He turned away and went right to work on picking all his papers up. When he had them all together, I walked right past me and walked through the arch. Knowing I'd get lost without his help, I ran after him.

"Wait!" I called. He didn't stop but he slowed down enough that I could match my strides with his. "What don't I know?"

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. "Usually similar companies don't have any sort of contact with one another, even the family of the company owners."

I thought his response through but still couldn't make any sense of it. "Could you explain that a little more?"

He stopped suddenly and turned partway to me, his expression impatient. "My father is Yoshio Ootori. We own Tokyo's largest medical company. Your half brother owns the second largest. His company has been doing well and my father sees him as a rival. I would have thought that Mr. Yukimura would've told you to stay away from me."

"That makes no sense." I told him. What did it matter if I talked to Mr. Ootori's son? Is that why he's been so hostile?

He smiled a little but it was laced with bitterness. "Don't worry yourself Miss. Yukimura. Allow me to escort you out of the maze."

That was the last we spoke on the matter. I was glad that he offered because it took us only five minutes to find our way out instead of the thirty it took me to get lost and find the clearing. He walked me right up to the gate where a limo was waiting. He bowed in my direction and gave a quick goodbye before heading towards the limo. He was almost ot it when I spoke, once again, without thinking.

"Masami Plaza!" I yelled.

He paused at the door and looked over his shoulder. "Beg your pardon?"

I blushed. "Tomorrow at ten in the morning. I'm going to the Masami Plaza with Mina and Rinae for the day to shop, eat lunch and maybe catch a movie. Do you want to meet us there?"

He looked suprised to say the least. He took a moment to respond. "I'll see what I can do. Maybe I'll bring Tamaki. Mina and Rinae are guests of his."

I smiled. "Thank you."

His answering smile was small and fleeting. He got in the limo and was gone right away. When the vehicle was nothing more than a dot in the distance, I turned on my heel and headed for Mark's house. I was right on time. Mark was just exiting his study when I walked through the front door.

"There you are. How was the club meeting?" He asked as he walked right past me. He stopped at the arch that led into the dining room and asked the cook what was for dinner.

"Good." I lied. "I've made plans for tomorrow. Shopping with Mina and Rinae." And possibly Kyoya. Probably not. I really couldn't imagine him wanting to show up and run around with a trio of girls. If he did show up, it would be with either just Tamaki or the entire host club. And possibly a few guests.

"That's good. Go ahead and take a seat at the table. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

As we took our seats, I mulled over a question in my head. The food was just being placed on the table when I had the courage to ask. "Are we enemies with the Ootori family?"

He looked a little startled. "Why do you ask?"

"I go to class with Kyoya Ootori and he told me that his father owns Tokyo's largest medical company and you own the second. Because of that, our families are rivals. Right?"

He took a bite of his food, his expression thoughtful. "Well I don't think I'd say rivals. I've been looking into it and my plan is to create a partnership with the Ootori Medical Company. The meeting I went to yesterday evening was actually a dinner party that I knew he'd be at. I'm hoping to tie our companies together by the end of the year."

"Oh." I wonder if Kyoya knows this.

"But don't tell his son. I want this all to play out smoothly." He told me, using his chopsticks to point.

"I won't."

We ate in silence for several minutes before he spoke again. "Are you friends with Kyoya Ootori?"

I tried not to grimmace. I doubt I'd ever be able to call that boy my 'friend' even if I spent the rest of the semester trying. "Something like that."

"Alright. That's good. Maybe if you and him become close friends, he'll introduce you to his father. It would give me the opportunity to propose dinner with his family."

I sighed. Was he really gonna make me be buddy buddy with this kid just so he could gain a partnership? He'd probably try. At the rate I'm going, he'd most likely succeed. I don't know why but part of me wants to be friends with Kyoya. He may be rude but at least he doesn't put on a cheesy act like the rest of the hosts. Well except Haruhi. I don't think he does either.

After dinner, I went right up to my room to finish up my homework. After that, I sent a long text message to my mom, telling her how 'awesome' the school was and how much I missed her. She sent back an even longer message that all centered around her wishing I'd come home. I don't want to make her sad but... this is something I have to do for dad. And for me...

I spent a few hours listening to the radio (Japanese music really was good if you find the right songs) before taking a shower, getting dressed and crawling into bed. Walking all over that maze earlier really wore me out.

I was halfway asleep when my cellphone rang. Sighing, I reached over and grabbed it, clicking the 'accept call' button. Putting it to my ear, I yawned. "Hello?"

"Avianna!"


	5. Masami Plaza

**DID YOU LIKE THE CLIFFY FROM THE LAST CHAPTER? :D IT SHALL BE EXPLAINED. DON'T WORRY.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. I DO OWN AVIANNA. SHE IS A CHARACTER I'VE BEEN SCULPTING FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS. **

***(And before you ask, yes I forgot to write 'Chapter 4' at the top of the last chapter. I'd fix it but I have a bad feeling that replacing the chapter would delete all the reviews I have for that chapter. O_o)**

**ENJOY!**

**Chapter 5**

Avianna's POV:

_I was halfway asleep when my cellphone rang. Sighing, I reached over and grabbed it, clicking the 'accept call' button. Putting it to my ear, I yawned. "Hello?"_

_"Avianna!"_

I bolted upright in bed. "Hiro? How did you get this number?"

"Rinae and Mina gave it to me. They said you have something to ask me. Something about where you're going tomorrow."

I scowled. Mina... Rinae...you will pay for this. "I'm honestly not sure why she thinks I have something to ask you but now that you mention it, I'm going shopping at the Masami Plaza tomorrow with the girls. We'll be there from ten till late in the afternoon shopping and you're welcome to come."

"Sounds great." He answered right away. "Where should I meet you?"

"You'll have to call Mina or Rinae. I've never been to the plaza. I'd love to stay and chat but if I don't sleep now, I won't be able to get out of bed in the morning. Goodnight Hiro."

He laughed. "Goodnight."

Clicking the 'end call' button, I sat the phone back on my bedside table and curled into a ball on my side. Well this is unexpected. What are they trying to pull by getting me to ask Hiro to hang out with us? I have a pretty good idea why they're doing it but I could be wrong. If they were trying to set me up with someone, they should pick someone I'd actually agree to date. Hiro is nice and all but I just don't like him that way.

It didn't take long at all for me to fall asleep. Unlike the past few nights, my dreams tonight were blury and not even remotely memorable. For once, it was the sun that woke me up and not my blaring alarm clock. I laid in bed for a few minutes, greatful. When my skin was warm all over, I crawled out of bed and went to my closet. What to wear? At least I didn't have to wear my uniform.

I settled for some jean shorts, converses and a Fall Out Boy band tee. Grabbing my wallet out of my book bag, I put it and a cellphone in a little leather purse that could be put on the back like a backpack. Running downstairs, I grabbed a green apple from the fruit bowl in the kitchen and went outside to wait for Mina and Rinae. They both agreed to pick me up since I didn't really have a car of my own. A few minutes later, they arrived and we were on our way.

I felt very underdressed when I saw what Rinae and Mina were wearing. Rinae was in a silky yellow sundress with a knitted white overtop and white flats while Mina wore a medium shade blue sundress with little heels. Both outfits looked like they cost more than my entire wardrobe.

"Did Hiro call you last night?" Rinae asked, reminding me of the incident.

I glared at them both. "Yes he did. What were you two thinking?"

Rinae pouted. "We were thinking that Hiro likes you and we wanted to give him a shot at asking you out."

"Rinae! We weren't supposed to tell her that!" Mina reprimanded.

"What?" I practically screamed. "Why would you two set me up for that? I don't like him..."

"You havn't even really got to know him. Rinae and I are just giving you the option. Did you invite him today?"

"Yes. Only because I didn't want to hurt his feelings." I crossed my arms and leaned back in my seat.

Both girls spent the majority of the trip to the Masami Plaza apologizing and I finally forgave them as we pulled up beside a large marble arch that led into what looked like a town square in a village. The plaza stretched on as far as the eye could see and each building was painted a pastel color. Mina and Rinae grabbed onto my arms and walked me through the arch as the limo drove away with instructions to pick everyone up at six.

"What store first?" Rinae asked, bouncing up and down like a rabbit.

I looked at the signs above each building. I couldn't really judge what they sold based on the names so I told them to just pick out a store. I had a bit of a mental list with me today. Along with wanting to buy a few new outfits, I also wanted to see about buying some books to keep me busy. I hadn't gotten the chance to look at Ouran's library so I'd have to settle for what I can buy here.

Rinae suggested the first store on the left, which turned out to be a jewelry store. Both girls eyed the diamond necklaces in one case while I stood near the door, feeling awkward. So girls from regular schools went to the mall to buy clothes while girls from Ouran went to the mall to spend thousands of dollars on jewelry. If it weren't for all the money I had in my wallet right now, I'd be afraid to even step into this place. It was a rule my mother had shoved into my head from a young age. If you can't afford it, don't bother with it.

The clerk behind the store pulled out a gold chained necklace with a yellow diamond and walked around the counter to put it around Rinae's neck. Rinae was practically glowing. "You should pick something out too. If you don't have enough for it, I'll buy it for you."

I grimmaced. "No that's alright. I brought some money with me. I'm just not into jewelry." Which was true. If I hadn't wanted to show Mina and Rinae the necklace the host club sent me, I wouldn't have even taken it out of the box. Twenty minutes later, both girls left the jewelry store with little gold gift bags full of a necklace, a bracelet and a pair of earings each. They didn't even have to directly pay for it. They just charged it to a tab both their families made for them.

We were about to go into the next store when a familiar voice called out my name. Turning around, I watched as Hiro bounded right up to us. "There you girls are. I showed up ten minutes ago and couldn't find you."

Mina explained where we had been while Rinae grabbed my arm and drug me into a clothing store. Rinae put both hands on my shoulders. "Now this is your chance. Be nice to him, kay?"

A quick glare from me sent her back a few steps. "I'll be nice but I won't date him. Not gonna happen." Leaving her in the store, I went to greet him. His answering smile was a bit unsettling. Looks like Mina and Rinae were right. He does like me.

It was awkward for us both. At first, he did all the talking but, when I couldn't think of a single thing to say, Mina and Rinae had to intervene and keep inserting conversation topics. Inspite of their efforts to keep Hiro and me talking, I was too distracted to put much effort into anything I said. My eyes constantly scanned the crowd of people, looking for the one person I had wanted to invite. He was nowhere to be found.

By the time we were ready for lunch, Mina and Rinae had taken several steps back, leaving Hiro and me be. They'd pay for that too... Hiro actually started a topic that kept me interested. What I thought of Japanese culture and how it differed from America's culture.

"It's so different, it really is. In America, we have our history but we leave it in the past and constantly try to advance and leave it further behind but here in Japan... you guys live by your history. You hold it in reverence and I think that's what makes me love Japanese culture so much. Everything is ceremony and traditional and beautiful but it's surrounded by modern design."

He looked like he was fascinated by my words. His eyes darted behind us for a second before returning to me. "Mina and Rinae ditched us."

"What?" I turned around and sure enough, they were gone. "Great..." Another strike against them. One more and they were OUT.

Hiro shrugged. "No matter. I've got money and I see a cafe over there. Let's get something to eat. My treat."

Before I could protest, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me right over to one of the outdoor tables on the patio of the cafe. "Really Hiro. We should find Mina and Rinae. They're probably hungry too."

"Relax. We're right out in the open. Chances are, Mina and Rinae are gonna pass by us and then they can join us." He took a seat and picked up his menu. "I recomend their Sunday Special."

I scanned the crowd again before giving up and sitting at the table with him. This sucks... I bet they're hungry right now. But this place is pretty big. There's probably a lot of restaraunts. Oh well. Technically, it's their fault for ditching us. If they would've listened when I said I didn't like Hiro, we'd still be in one group and I'd feel less inclined to kill them both.

A minute later, a waiter exited the front door of the cafe and took our order. Hiro was insistant on us ordering their daily special so I gave up and let him order everything. It was his treat so if I didn't like it, I could always seperate from him later and buy myself something with my own money.

When the drinks arrived, Hiro took a long drink of his before throwing me into conversation again. "What was your life like in America, Avianna?"

I shrugged. "How you'd expect. Family, friends, school. I spent a lot of time exploring these caves about a ten minute walk from my house."

He openly shivered. "Wow... you're so brave. I'd never have the guts to go exploring a cave."

"No, trust me. It's not really that scary. It's fun." I explained.

He shook his head. "I couldn't ever-" Hiro cut off, his eyes staring out into the crowd to our right. I followed his gaze to find Kyoya standing about ten feet from our table with Tamaki at his sight. He stared right at me for a moment, his expression giving away his tention. I waved, trying to invite him over but he didn't move an inch. He eyed Hiro before looking completely away. Before I could even think what to do or say next, Tamaki drug him off. I sighed.

"Great... he looked mad." I mumbled, leaning down in my seat.

"Yeah... wonder what his problem is. Well, it's whatever. I wonder what he's doing here." Hiro said before shrugging and reaching for his drink.

Thankfully, I liked what he had ordered. I finished mine quickly, hoping that if I parted ways with Hiro quickly enough, I could hunt down Kyoya and find out why he blew me off. Judging by the way he had looked at Hiro, he seemed particularly adverse to him. Hiro stared at me blankly, a fork full of food pausing halfway to his mouth. "Hungry?" He asked.

I blushed. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. I um... need to use to bathroom." I stuttered before standing up. Hiro stood up with me.

"Alright? Let me show you the way."

"No!" I practically shouted. "Uh... I mean no thank you. I'll find it myself. See if you can find Mina and Rinae while I'm gone and have one of them call me so we can meet up." Grabbing my purse, I pulled out money for my food and handed it to Hiro before running off in the direction Kyoya had gone.

When the cafe was out of sight, I sighed in relief and placed the backpack on my back. Finally. I rushed through the crowd, my focus on finding Kyoya. I thought I could hear Tamaki shouted something but when I ran in the direction of his voice, I found the front doors of a girlish looking hat shop. Would Kyoya really let Tamaki drag him in here? Maybe...I opened the door and walked in a few steps.

"Kyoya! What do you think of this one! Doesn't it make me look dashing?"

Kyoya leaned against the wall by the door, not even two feet from me while Tamaki stood near a wall of hats, sporting a fedora. Kyoya's eyes moved in my direction and my face lit up. "Hello Miss. Yukimura. I've come as you instructed."

My jaw dropped a bit, suprised by his words. "I didn't really instructed you. It was an open invitation. You could have declined it."

He didn't respond. Tamaki was quick to fill the silence when he spotted me. "Miss. Yukimura! There you are! When Kyoya told me you invited us to go shopping, I was so excited! Where to next? Name the place!" He bounced up and down, reminding me a bit of Rinae.

"Calm yourself Tamaki. Try on your hats. We'll wait while you select a few." Kyoya answered for me, a lot of annoyance in his voice. Instead of feeling offended by Kyoya's tone, Tamaki listened to him and ran for the hats right away, a smile still on his face. When Tamaki was sufficiently distracted, Kyoya gave me a polite smile. "I apologize for him. He's very much like a child and a certain amount of patience is required to handle him."

I smiled shortly. "He's nice."

Kyoya looked around the store, his eyes distant. "Are you here alone?" He asked after a minute.

"No. Mina and Rinae are here too. We ended up running into a classmate of mine and Mina and Rinae ditched me" I told him. He raised his eyebrows a bit, a subtle sign that something I said had suprised him.

"Ditched?"

I sighed as I leaned against the wall beside him. "The 'commoner' term for someone running off without warning."

"I know what it means. I only wonder what reasons they would have for ditching you." He said softly, turning only slightly towards me.

I considered telling him why but thought better of it. Why did he need to know that they were trying to set me up with Hiro. Hiro... Oh man. He's probably expecting me. I hope he finds the girls. I still wondered why he had given such a weird look to Hiro earlier. "Kyoya?"

"Yes?"

I tried to form the question but the words died in my throat. Ugh... why am I so shy right now? "Nothing."

His onyx eyes bore into mine, almost as if he were willing me to say what I was going to say. I felt my mouth open and close a few times. I hope I didn't look like a fish. A little smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Or maybe a smirk. "I was suprised when you invited me. Considering the rivally between our families. But after a conversation with my father last night, I finally understand things."

I couldn't figure out why he was smiling because his eyes were colder than ever. "Huh?"

"Your brother called my father last night. He's scheduled dinner for tomorrow night. I and my family are invited. I've been hearing talk that your brother wants to create a partnership. Is this why you've decided to seek out my friendship Miss. Yukimura? If so, then we shouldn't disapoint anyone."

When I got over my initial shock, I glared. "I don't give a damn about what Mark was. I really wanted to be your friend. Not so much anymore..."

Turning on my heel, I marched right out of the store. I hadn't even taken ten steps when I heard a door behind me swing open. "Miss. Yukimura! Wait!"


	6. Fainted

**AWWW YOU GUYS! . YOUR REVIEWS ARE SO NICE! I WISH I COULD UPDATE MUCH QUICKER THAN I DO. HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR YOU TO SINK YOUR TEETH INTO. ENJOY!**

**I'M SOOOOO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING FOR SO LONG. :'( A LOOOTTTTT HAS GONE ON. BUT I'VE FOUND A LITTLE PINCH OF INSPIRATION AND I'M CHOOSING TO USE SAID INSPIRATION FOR THIS STORY. **

**DISCLAIMER: DO NOT OWN OHSHC. :( SIGHS***

**Chapter 6**

Avianna's POV:

_Turning on my heel, I marched right out of the store. I hadn't even taken ten steps when I heard a door behind me swing open. "Miss. Yukimura! Wait!"_

Turning around, I watched as Tamaki ran out of the store with a hat still on his head. Both Kyoya and a store clerk ran right after him.

"Tamaki? What is it?" I asked.

"Is everything alright? You left the store so quickly."

The store clerk caught up to him before Kyoya did. She looked frustrated and a little bit in awe of Tamaki. "Sir. You have to pay for that hat."

Tamaki raised a hand the way a king would if he were wanting to get the attention of a servant. "Kyoya. Please pay the lovely lady."

Kyoya walked right up to us and stood by Tamaki, his expression showing how tedius he found Tamaki's behavior. "Pay her yourself you oaf." He told him while fixing his glasses.

Tamaki looked up at his friend with tears in his eyes. "Why are you so mean to me mommy... what would Haruhi say?"

One particularly stern glare from Kyoya snapped Tamaki right out of his dramatic scene. Tamaki sighed and followed the clerk right back into the store, leaving Kyoya and I alone. "Mommy?" I asked when Kyoya didn't say anything.

"Don't ask." Was his only response before walking over to sit on a bench near the outside of the hat shop.

He ignored me after that. When I was sure he didn't have any intention of talking to me, I walked right in front of him. "Let's get something straight Kyoya Ootori." I said firmly, looking right into his eyes. "If the only reason you're even talking to me is because of your father and my brother's partnership then forget it."

His eyes narrowed, making me back down just a bit. He put his notebook and pen back into the pocket of his shirt before promptly standing up. He towered over me, ominous looking storm clouds in the sky behind him. "Do you think I would have accepted your offer to meet here if I didn't want to be your friend for my own reasons? If you recall, I still was under the impression then that we were to be rivals."

The wind was metaphorically knocked out of me. Argument void. I sighed, slouching a bit. Why do I always end up feeling like an idiot when I'm around him? "Sorry..."

His hard stare softened a bit. He surprised me by reaching forward. He grabbed my shoulder and pressed his fingers on my back to fix my posture. "A lady shouldn't back down in the presence of a man. There's a fine line between humility and being a coward."

I stood there, temporarily frozen, my mind still chewing on the words he said. He hadn't removed his hand from my shoulder yet. "So you're saying women should act powerful and never show weakness."

He shook his head, a little smirk forming. "People in general are weak on occasion. But yes, women should assert their power. It impresses others."

I took a step back, forcing the hand he still had on my shoulder to fall off. "I honestly don't care whether or not I impress others."

He paused for a second before opening his mouth to speak. Before he could get a single word out, Tamaki returned. "I paid for the hats myself. Happy?" He pouted before linking his arm with mine. "Let's go guys! Time to shop!" He shouted before dragging me deeper into the plaza with Kyoya in tow.

Tamaki ended up taking us into several cutesy shops and a few classy ones as well. After exiting a store that sold designer clothes, Tamaki started walking for an ice cream parlor. "Oh! Can we go there?" He asked.

I was about to say 'sure' when Kyoya spoke up for the first time in twenty minutes. "Why don't you let Miss. Yukimura pick a shop for once. You picked the last five. I'm frankly getting sick of the clothing stores."

I didn't verbally say it but inwardly, I was completely agreeing with him. Scanning the visible stores, I saw one in particular that caught my eye. From the outside, it looked the same as any of the other shops, but the sign in the display window told me it was a bookstore. I pointed before walking right past Tamaki.

Opening the big red door, I looked around. Directly to the right of the door was a counter, to the left was a clearance table. There was one big bookshelf in the back that took up three walls with various display racks in the middle. Finally. I place I really wanna be. Too bad it was so small.

I had just begun to head for the back when I heard Mina call my name. Turning around, I watched her and Rinae begin to crowd Tamaki. Hiro walked in too, his eyes instantly zeroing on me.

"Avianna!" He called before running right up to me. "I've been looking all over for you."

"I got lost." I said sheepishly, hoping I didn't blush and give away the fact I was lying.

Hiro looked to the side, taking in the sight of Kyoya. Both boys were glaring openly at each other. The hostility was making the atmosphere in the store very heavy. Backing away, I was drug to the side by Mina and Rinae.

Both girls were grinning. "Can you believe it?" Rinae squealed.

"Hosts to go shopping with!" Mina added. "You're so lucky you found them first. By the way. We're sorry for ditching you with Hiro."

I sighed. Grabbing the wrists of both girls, I drug them to the back of the store. "Let's get something straight. I don't like Hiro. At all. Please stop trying to set me up with him."

They both nodded. "We're sorry." Rinae frowned. "We get it. But who do you like then?"

"Nobody." I answered quickly, surprising even myself when I heard the lie creeping into my voice. Luckily, both seemed to believe me. Tamaki took that time to run over and ask one of the girls a question about a book he found, giving me the chance to run off to the other side of the store.

I had picked up an interesting looking book and had begun to read the inside flap when I felt somebody's presence very close to me. Jumping aside, I saw Kyoya reading the back of a book not even a foot away from me.

He seemed to not realize he had frightened me for he continued to read the book cover. I was about to ask him what he was reading when he spoke first. "Did you invite Hiro Bicho here today?"

"Uh...Yeah. My friends wanted me to. Why? What's your beef with him?" I asked openly, curious about why they seemed to hate each other so much.

He put the book down and looked completely in my direction, his expression telling me he had no idea what I just asked him. "What's my what with him?"

"Sorry. American slang. What's your problem with him? You both seem to hate each other."

He looked quickly away, the corner's of his eyes beginning to get crows feet, telling me he was glaring at the bookshelf. After nearly twenty seconds of awkward silence, he finally turned back to me. Bowing his head, he took a step back.

"Forgive me. I believe it's time for Tamaki and myself to be getting home. We have other affairs to see to today." Not even waiting for my reply or his friends consent, he grabbed Tamaki by the arm and drug his friend, kicking and screaming, from the store.

When the initial shock wore off, I noticed that Mina and Rinae looked very disappointed while Hiro, who had moved to stand all the way at the front of the store near the clearance table, looked pleased.

Hiro clapped his hands before rubbing them together. "Alright then! Let's get this party started. Movie time. On me."

Twenty minutes later, most of which was spent dragging Rinae from out of the the random shops she just 'had' to see, we all made it to the move theater back of the plaza. It was a small movie theater but it was very well built and really fancy.

Only two movies were playing. One scary film and one romantic comedy. To my surprise, Mina and Rinae both wanted to see something scary. Hiro ran up beside me as we went to purchase tickets, not leaving my side once.

By the time we had purchased our snacks and made it to our seats, the movie previews were just beginning. There weren't many seats left so we had no choice but to sit in four available seats on the end part of the isle that was two away from the back row.

Mina, Rinae and I took the inside seats, leaving the isle seat for Hiro. Unfortunately, he was sitting by me. It wouldn't be that big of a deal if he wasn't scooting so close to me, our arms were brushing.

As the room completely darkened and the movie itself began, Hiro leaned over. "I've heard about this one. It's supposed to be really scary. Be prepared. You can hold onto my arm if you get scared."

Scooting as far away as my seat would allow, I ignored his offer. Ten minutes into the film, the killer made his first appearance. An unsuspecting guy in the movie wasn't paying attention, making me tense up as I waited for the guy to notice that he was about to be slaughtered.

I was so into the movie, I nearly jumped out of my seat when I felt something brush against my shoulder. Flinching, I looked over at Hiro, who was cowering in his seat. He had scooted as close to me as possible and was practically huddling against my side. I rolled my eyes. I'm terrified of scary movies and I'm not as freaked out as he is.

The rest of the movie, I was completely distracted by Hiro's wimpish behavior. It would've been funny if I wasn't so sick of him trying to burrow right through the side of my t-shirt. As the credits rolled, I bolted up and stepped over Hiro's legs before running from the movie room.

Mina was the first to exit. She looked a little shook up but not nearly as freaked out as Rinae. And Rinae had nothing on Hiro, who was sorta hunched over as he exited, his teeth chattering.

"That was so freaky!" Mina said loudly before shivering. "Dude, Hiro. Are you okay? You looked scared to death."

He nodded before straightening up. Although he still shook, he looked to be in control of himself. "Nah. Just really cold. That movie room was like ice."

None of us believed him but we gave him the benefit of the dark but not saying anything about it. "I gotta be getting home soon guys. It's already five."

"Yeah, Mina and I gotta get to my house. My mom's agreed to let me have a friend over tonight since she and I go to the same school." Rinae told me. "Wanna spend the night too? You can come over too Hiro and visit with us till dark. Then we'll have to send you home."

Hiro agreed right away, glancing in my direction. I shook my head, not wanting to spend any more time with Hiro and his weird glances. "I still haven't done any of my homework from yesterday. Sorry guys." I told them.

We left right away, everyone holding shopping bags except for me. As we passed by that bookstore from earlier, I stepped aside. "Hey guys, wait a second. I wanna buy something I saw in here earlier."

Running in, I walked to the back of the store, to the area Kyoya and I had stood at. Scanning the shelf, I found the book Kyoya had been reading the back of. The book had a french title but I wasn't intimidated by it. I knew enough french to venture a guess of what it was about.

Reading the back of it quickly, I tucked it under my arm and went to the front to pay for it. The store owner put it in a black gift bag before handing it to me along with my change and my receipt.

As I exited the store and joined my group, each of them gave me strange looks, curious about what I bought. At the plaza arch, a limo arrived for Hiro. Just a moment later, one arrived for us too.

The girls tried prying into my bag the whole trip but I was insistent that it wouldn't interest them. The truth was, I was more than a little disturbed with myself for buying a book just because he seemed interested in it. It didn't seem like anything special. Maybe just a book he was reading the back of to pass the time.

But he seemed to be very interested in it. Maybe he's read it before. Maybe it'll give me a peek into how that cryptic mind of his works.

When Rinae's driver brought me back to Mark's house, I bid them all goodnight before running directly inside, right past a waiting Mr. Kabayashi. "Night! Going to bed!" I called as I ran to the second floor and shut myself in my room.

Locking the door, I took off my shoes, threw off my t-shirt and shorts and threw on some clean pajamas before jumping onto the middle of my bed and dumping the contents of the black gift bag before me.

The book lay there innocently, tempting me to read it. According to the storyline on the back, it was written one hundred years ago and was considered an intellectual read. It was about a girl who has to travel from her home in the countryside to Paris where she lives with her aunt while she attends a finishing school. While there, she has a stormy affair with the son of the school's biggest investor.

Opening to the first page, I laid on my stomach and read through the first chapter. By then, I was hooked. I was so caught up in the sad story of Stephanie Moreau that it was midnight by the time I glanced at the clock.

"Crap!" I nearly shouted as I dog eared my page and sat in on the dresser before climbing under the covers. It'll be really difficult to get up in the morning if I don't fall asleep right away.

As if fate wanted me to be exhausted for school, it took a good two hours to fall asleep. My mind was so busy replaying everything Kyoya and I talked about that I couldn't get it to shut off and go to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, later than usual, my head was pounding. I usually got terrible headaches if I didn't get enough sleep. Great... I hope Mark has some Tylenol around here somewhere.

Reluctantly getting up, I hunted down some Tylenol from the medicine cabinet in my bathroom before taking a long shower and getting dressed. As I was brushing through my blow dried hair, a maid ran up to tell me I'd be late if I wasn't ready in the next ten minutes.

I was in such a hurry, I ran out the door with my long hair not done up like I usually do it. Mr. Kobayashi ran after me, carrying my book bag. "Miss. Yukimura! Your bag!"

"I'm gonna be late!" I yelled as I took the bag and dove into the back of the town car. It seems silly to be this freaked out but I really didn't want a detention. Since students were given so much time to get to class, one tardy resulted in being detained after school let out for an hour.

Mr. Kobayashi slid in the driver's seat and backed out of the drive before practically speeding down the street. "We'll make it just in time. Don't hesitate to go right to class and you won't be late."

The second the car stopped in front of the Ouran High doors, I jumped out and ran right up the steps and through the doors with my bag in hand. Everyone else was already in class. Only a couple stragglers were still in the halls. Running up the main stairs, I slid down the hall and bolted through my classroom door just as the bell rang.

Hiro jumped out of his seat, arms in the air like a goalie. "ANNNDDDD, SHE'S SAFE!"

The teacher walked up to stand in front of her class. She glanced at me before rolling her eyes. "You may take your seat Miss. Yukimura. You made it on time."

Looking down and blushing, I scurried to my seat, not missing the snicker Megumi, the blonde girl who's been glaring at me everyday of class, gave me. I was too embarrassed to look at Kyoya. Bringing some of my hair to my left shoulder, I used it as a curtain to block out his view.

I vaguely heard the teacher tell us to bring out our homework that she assigned us two days ago. Thankfully, I had finished the assignment Friday night. Handing to the teacher, who was going through the rows, I put my head in my hands. The Tylenol didn't help at all.

I was almost completely zoned out for most of class. Thankfully, when the worksheet was passed out to quiz us on what we learned today, I knew the answers. After turning it in, I laid my head on my desk, about ready to pass out.

"If our teacher catches you napping, she'll give you detention." I heard Kyoya whisper.

"Oh let the girl sleep. She can use detention to sleep off that hangover she's trying to hide." I glared, my eyes trained on the desk as I sat upright in my seat. That little comment was from Megumi.

Relaxing my expression, I looked up at gave Megumi one of the most friendly stares I could muster while in my current pain. "I don't drink."

She obviously saw the masked hostility because she took a step back and glared before going to sit back in her seat. I shook my head and squinted my eyes, trying to mentally force the headache to go away.

"Are you alright, Avianna?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah. I didn't sleep very well last night and it gave me a bad headache." I told him, my eyes glued to the desk. I could feel more than one set of eyes on me. I just knew that I'd catch Kyoya looking if I glanced up. The hairs on both arms were beginning to stand up, goosebumps forming.

"Do you want me to take you to the nurse?" Hiro offered.

Finally glancing his way, I saw he still had his worksheet sitting on his desk, half finished. "I'm fine really. We only have ten minutes of class left. You should finish your worksheet."

He looked down at it before frowning. "I still think you should see a nurse. I don't want you in pain all day. Maybe someone else could take you who's finished their work. My friend, Rishu is done."

I sighed. "Really, I-"

"I'll take her." His voice made me jump. Staring to my left, I watched as Kyoya stood up and walked around the rows until he was standing beside my desk. His hard stare intimidated me. Not needing to be told twice, I stood up and followed him to the front where he asked permission to escort me to Nurse Takina.

We had walked about twenty feet from the classroom when my headache became worse. I gritted my teeth. I haven't had a headache this bad since I was ten. My vision began to blur, making me feel dizzy. I was so disoriented that I had no idea what was happening until I felt something cold being laid on my face.

"She's coming around." A woman said.

"Forgive me but I must return to class." I heard Kyoya whisper before also hearing a door open and close.

Forcing my eyes open, I looked up at an elderly nurse. I now realized that the cold thing on my head was a cold compress. "Hello dear. How are you feeling?"

"What happened? Where's Kyoya?" I whispered, realizing that the headache had dulled considerably.

"You fainted twenty minutes ago. The boy you were with? He carried you all the way here and wouldn't leave until you began to wake up." She explained. "Do you know what caused you to faint?"

It took a moment to respond. I was still wrapping my head around a 'concerned' Kyoya. Finally, I looked at the nurse. "Headache. I used to get really bad headaches as a child. I used to have to take medication to keep them from hospitalizing me. I haven't had one this bad since I was really young."

"Rough night?" She asked me in a maternal manner.

I shrugged. "A little. I was awake till two in the morning. Lack of sleep is usually what causes them."

The nurse reached for a touch sensitive thermometer. Removing the cold compress, she ran it along my forehead and down my cheek. She looked at it after it beeped. "No temperature. But if you still feel poorly, I'll give you a couple Tylenol and let you lay down in here."

"No, it's okay. I'll go back to class. It actually went away." I said, surprised. Sighing in relief, I stretched and sat up slowly. I should find Kyoya today and thank him for carrying me here. I couldn't have been very light.

After thanking the nurse, I checked the clock and headed back to my homeroom class. My schedule worked in a block like manner. Until lunch, I'm taught three subjects by my homeroom teacher. Homeroom is the class I have with Kyoya. After lunch, I have the remainder of my classes before school lets out.

When I entered homeroom again, I found Kyoya sitting in his assigned seat, a book in hand. As I walked to my seat, I could see his leg tapping very quickly under the desk. As soon as I took my seat, he looked up and stopped tapping his leg.

"Are you alright Miss. Yukimura?" He asked right away, looking directly at me.

"I'm fine." I mumbled, feeling a blush begin to form.

"Why did you faint?" He asked, using that assertive tone of his.

"Just a bad headache is all...I used to get them all the time. It's no big deal."

He didn't ask another question on the subject for the rest of homeroom. When the bell rang, Kyoya darted from the room, as usual. But when I entered the hallway myself, I saw him standing about ten feet from the door, his eyes on me. He watched me walk to lunch, following at a safe, no relation, distance.

I sighed, gathering that he was still concerned. Not that he owed me anything. It made me wonder why a guy like Kyoya Ootori would concern himself with a half 'commoner' like me. He owes me nothing. But... He told me at the plaza that he had reasons of his own for befriending me, unrelated to Mark or his father. I was getting a really weird vibe from this guy. I just can't seem to read him.

Feeling too unsettled to eat, I settled for a bottle of water. I had just taken a seat beside Mina, who was sitting by Rinae, when I noticed that Hiro wasn't there. Based on the conversation Rinae and Mina were having, apparently Hiro was really angry about something and stormed out of the cafeteria just as I arrived. I didn't notice him walk out at all.

"He was looking at the door the whole time. Then he ran out in a rage the second you walked in." Mina explained to me.

"I wonder what his problem was." Rinae mumbled.

Based on the tension between Hiro and Kyoya, I'm guessing that Hiro might have been angry when he saw Kyoya staring openly at me until I had picked up my lunch tray. I sighed heavily. "I don't know what his problem is... I don't want anyone to be mad at me. I didn't mean to upset Hiro."

"I'm sure it's nothing you did Avianna. Don't blame yourself." Rinae tried to reassure me.

"He was pretty tensed up when I saw him before school. You were late for school and it made him jumpy I guess."

"Why would that make him jumpy?" I asked.

Both girls stared at me like I was an idiot. "He likes you!" They both yelled before laughing.

I winced. I really don't like him that way. Ugh... This is just too much for me.

"By the way." Mina began. "Is it true that you fainted? It's been circulating through the school all morning that you passed out in the hall and Kyoya Ootori carried you all the way to the nurse's office."

My face lit up. "Yeah, it's true."

The girls began to giggle like little school girls before grilling me on the whole encounter. Since I was unconscious for most of it, I didn't have many details to give.

"I've got it!" Rinae said firmly, her eyes wide and hands held up. "We set up Avianna with Kyoya! He's such a loner, he won't be tempted by any other girls. We'll just work our butts off to get alone time for you two. You're totally capable of bagging the shadow king."

I began to choke on the drink I had just tried to swallow. When I could breathe again, I stared at her, mystified. "How am I capable of doing that? And what makes you think I like him?"

Mina laughed. "Oh don't be coy. First off, it's obvious you like him. Seriously. The behavior is so obvious, I'm surprised it took me till yesterday to see it. Secondly...I don't know... You've just got this connection with him. He's attracted to, obviously. But he also seems like he's impressed by you. Like there's more than looks he's seeing. Maybe the shadow king believes he's met his match in intelligence."

I shook my head. "Nu-uh. I can't believe you're even talking about this."

Mina put an arm on my shoulder. "It's not optional. All you gotta do is be yourself. We'll arrange for private time. Here's our goal Rinae. I promise that I can get Kyoya Ootori to confess his feelings for you by the end of the big class trip."

The look on her face was so determined, I felt like I could believe her. But is that what I really wanted?


	7. Yoshio's Plan

**IT'S REALLY SUPRISING ME THAT I SEEM TO HAVE FOUND THAT HOOK I NEEDED TO CONTINUE THE STORY. THAT ONE HOOK THAT GRABS ONTO MY ATTENTION SPAN AND PULLS IT IN LIKE A FISH. :P I KNOW. WEIRD WAY OF PUTTING IT.**

**I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY THIS NEXT CHAPTER. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE LAST CHAPTER AS WELL. I HAD FIRST CONSIDERED CUTTING CHAPTER SIX IN HALF BECAUSE IT STRETCHED OVER TWO DIFFERENT DAYS BUT IT WAS SUCH A SHORT CHAPTER AFTER SPLITTING IT THAT I KEPT IT AS ONE TO MAKE IT LONGER.**

**IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING THAT WENT ON THIS WEEK. MY FAMILY FOUND A HOUSE THAT WE ARE HOPING TO GET SO WE ARE ALL PRAYING TO GOD THAT THE BANK GIVES US A LOAN FOR IT.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. PLEASE ENJOY! :D GOD BLESS!**

**Chapter 7**

Avianna's POV:

"I'm not playing this game, guys." I said for the tenth time since school ended.

"It's not a game Avianna. We're helping." Rinae told me.

I sighed, aggravated. "I thought you would've learned that I don't like being set up with people after the Hiro thing."

Both girls ignored me, smiles on their faces. As we made it to the club doors, Mina pushed through the crowd, her height and fierceness making everyone step aside. As the doors opened, both girls tossed me to the side, out of the way of the crowd, before running over to the table. When they returned, they explained that they signed me up already.

I rolled my eyes. "You're both impossible. Fine. But I don't have to show interest in him. That much you can't force to happen. And one thing is for sure. You can't make him show interest in me."

Both girls gave each other a look that said 'you've got to be kidding me'. "You've been showing interest in him since your first day." Mina said.

"We didn't have to do anything to make that happen. And you've got leverage over him that you aren't even aware of. He sets things aside and listens to you. Something he doesn't do for just any guest." Rinae finished.

From anyone else's point of view, you would agree with them. From mine, I knew that Kyoya Ootori was only giving me special attention because I was the half sister of his father's possible soon-to-be ally. It was only a matter of time before Mark and Mr. Ootori hammered out of the details of the agreement and made the merger commonly known news.

Before I could get any more upset, my name was called, along with a few others. Getting up, I quickly took a seat at Kyoya's table, right across from him, knowing that Megumi and her friends would take all the seats if I didn't hurry and secure one.

Kyoya was waiting at the table already, laptop in place, just like always. The big difference this time was that there was a tea tray sitting there along with a basket full of little scraps of paper. "What's this?" I asked, pointing to the basket.

Kyoya, looked up just long enough to see what I meant before responding. "A drawing. Write your name on one of the strips of paper and hand it over to Haruhi when he walks by this table."

"What's the drawing for?"

Megumi chose that time to take a seat in the remaining chair at the table, the one right next to Kyoya. "Well, the drawings are usually for serious, dedicated members." She told me before picking up a paper from the basket.

The way her narrow brown eyes just racked over Kyoya was kind of disgusting. I was surprised he didn't visibly cringe form the attention. What I said next, I really shouldn't have said. But I was angry and just a little bit...something. I don't know.

"And what's the qualifications to be considered a serious, dedicated member?" I asked before raising a hand the way one would when giving an oath. "'As an Ouran Host Club guest, I hearby agree to stalk the host of my choice'?"

Each girl sitting on either side of me gasped. Dropping my hand, I rethought what I just said. I was angry because of Megumi's snobby attitude and I really didn't think before speaking. When I finished saying it, I literally bit my tongue. Megumi looked positively livid.

A little panicked, I glanced at Kyoya. The corners of his mouth were turned up ever so slightly. At the time, he had been typing something. He now sat there with his fingers frozen on the keys. A few seconds later, the smile disappeared and he began to type again.

"I am not a 'stalker'." Megumi said with her teeth clenched together, putting emphasis on the work 'stalker'.

"Oh yes. Forgive me. Here you call them 'guests'." I said lightly before giving her the fakest smile I could muster. Once again, I wanted to bite my own tongue off.

Megumi shocked everyone by shooting up from her seat, causing it to tip backwards. "TAKE IT BACK!" She screamed, causing the whole room to become very silent.

Each host and guest stared at her like she was crazy. When they saw that her terrifying gaze was directed at me, they eventually turned their focus to me as well. I couldn't even speak. The wind temporarily out of my sails, I all but cowered down in my seat.

Thankfully, Tamaki chose that moment to swoop in and lighten the mood. "Ladies! What's started this little argument? Are you both wondering who I like more? You mustn't worry. I like all my guests equally. You're all gems."

Tamaki had made that little speech with such sincerity that I couldn't stop the giggle that escaped my lips. It echoed through the large, silent room. It's as if Megumi hadn't realized she had made a really big scene until now. Looking around the room, she blushed before delicately picking up her chair and sitting back down in it.

When everyone in the room returned to their conversations, several of which I heard both my name and Megumi's mentioned in, I looked up at Kyoya. The way his mouth was set made me think that he might be disapproving.

I frowned and looked to the side, my attention completely out of the conversation Megumi had the courage to start up with Kyoya after her outburst. I only leaned up in my seat once to write my name on a strip of paper when Haruhi recommended I should as he passed by. By the end of the club meeting, I hadn't touched my tea and I still hadn't said a word. I was getting out of my seat when I heard Kyoya speak again.

"Would you please sit for a moment Miss. Yukimura?"

A chill went down my back as I sat back down, noticing that everyone else had exited the club room, including the hosts. All of them were drug into the hall by the guests for casual conversation. I tried to remain silent as I waited for him to reprimand me for what I said to Megumi but couldn't help but try to defend myself.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm really really sorry. I know I shouldn't have called her a stalker or anything and it was my fault she freaked out like that and she's probably a really important guest of yours and I'll.. just.. stop.. talking.. now..." I finished, finally noticing that he didn't look upset at all.

"What made you think you were gonna get away with calling the daughter of the biggest law firm owner in the country a stalker?" He finally asked, a very very faint smirk/smile on his face.

I stared at him blankly. "Well, I didn't know she was the daughter of the biggest law firm owner in the country..."

He didn't respond at first. His eyes darted from me, to the side and then finally back to me before he said anything. "I won't keep you any longer. Just a friendly bit of advice. Megumi Chikanatsu has friends in high places. She can get you expelled from this school if she has the mind to. Be cautious of her." He whispered before leaning back, causing his glasses to gleam a little, blocking his eyes from my view.

At that point, he stood up and collected his laptop and all his papers before putting them all in his briefcase bag. Picking up my own, we both exited the club room together. Nobody seemed to notice that Kyoya and I had lagged behind the group except for Megumi and her little group of friends. She had a glare waiting just for me, the second I walked into the hall.

Megumi bounced up then, taking Kyoya's arm. "You never did tell us. What are the prizes in this quarter's raffle?"

Kyoya retrieved a notebook from the inside of his blazer before flipping through several pages. Stopping at a specific page, he ran a finger down the paper. "There are twenty prizes to be given away. All to be announced during the drawing. Ten of the prizes are objects, three are various expense paid day trips and the final seven are surprises. The drawing will take place during the club meeting in two weeks. This meeting will take place the day before the school's big trip."

A group of Kyoya's 'stalkers' squealed in excitement. Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heal and quickly walked down the long hallway. It wasn't until I had made it to the front door that I realized it was raining outside. Great... I was supposed to walk today.

Reaching into my bag, I searched for my cellphone. Oh no... I checked and rechecked the entire bag, remembering after the second check that I had left it on the charger in my room, figuring I wouldn't need it today.

It wasn't raining heavily yet. Just lightly showering. The slight thunder I heard in the background sounded so far away, I figured it would take hours for the storm to get here. You'd think Mr. Kobayashi would notice the weather and decide to check and see if I needed a ride... Oh, that's right. Since I told him I'd be walking today, he agreed to go across town with Mark where he would be kept busy all day driving him around from place to place.

Placing my leather bag over my head, I reluctantly stepped out from under the awning and walked quickly down the stairs. I watched glumly as the final group of guests got to leave in their warm limos.

I was about twenty feet away from the gate when the rain suddenly stopped pelting me. Looking up in surprise, I noticed a pink umbrella with bunnies on it hanging over me. "Hi Miss. Yukimura. Would you like to borrow my umbrella?" A childish voice asked. Looking to the side, I saw the little host boy. Honey, right?

"Thank you but I'm okay." I tried reassuring him but was cut off by Tamaki's loud voice.

"Allow me, princess!" He announced before pushing Honey's umbrella out of the way and holding his royal blue one with crown designs over me.

I blushed, finally realizing that all the hosts were leaving now and walking within a ten foot radius of me. "Really guys. Thank you but I'll be fine."

By the time we got to the gate, the twin hosts had already left. After some quick goodbyes, Honey and the tall, dark haired one got into an already waiting limo and were gone.

"Oh! There's my ride!" Tamaki shouted before pointing to a white stretch limo. When it pulled up, he tried to hand me his umbrella but was pushed directly into the limo by Kyoya who then grabbed my wrist and forced me to take his black umbrella. His grip was strong so I couldn't pull away even if I wanted to. After he was sure I wasn't just gonna let it fall, he let go of my wrist.

When Tamaki was gone, I looked up at Kyoya. "I don't need it. I don't live very far from here." I once again tried to hand back an umbrella but he refused to take it.

The truth was, the handle of this umbrella looks like it's made of solid gold and it has a very elegant letter 'O' on it. I was afraid I'd accidentally end up somehow breaking it and owing him a new umbrella. Lifting it up, I held it over Kyoya's head too. "You don't have a ride today, do you?" He asked after about twenty seconds of silence.

I shook my head. "No. It's my fault. I should have checked the weather this morning and I left my cellphone at home."

"My ride will be here soon. Let me drop you off." He offered, his eyes not leaving the storm clouds in the distance. "Really. Those clouds may look far away but they're approaching fast. It'll start lightening any minute now and you really shouldn't walk in a storm with a metal framed umbrella.

No arguments there. I knew a kids who got struck by lightening in similar circumstances. He miraculously survived but it gave him some brain damage and his hair will never grow right again. Kyoya's limo arrived a minute later. He ran out from under the umbrella and opened the back door for me. Getting in awkwardly, I handed him the umbrella before scooting to the seat on the opposite side of the door.

The whole way to my house, we sat there awkwardly, not saying a single word. Since he seemed perfectly content to spend the car ride writing something in that little black notebook of his, I settled for staring out the window.

Just as he said, it began to thunder directly overhead when we pulled up in front of Mark's house. Wow. That storm really did move fast. Looking up nervously, I opened the limo's door and was about to get out when Kyoya put a hand on my shoulder.

With his other hand, he handed me his umbrella. "The storm will be very loud tonight but it shouldn't get bad. Don't worry."

I looked at the silvery sky for a second before looking back at Kyoya. "Storms don't scare me. I just don't like them."

He raised an eyebrow at what I said. He looked like he wanted to say something but nothing ever come out of his slightly open mouth. Dropping his arm, He situated himself in his seat again. As soon as I had the sleek black limo's door shut, I opened the umbrella and stood there until he had driven away.

When I made it inside, the first thing I noticed was that there was obnoxious laughter emanating from somewhere in the house. Since both Mark and Mr. Kobayashi were gone, the butlers and maids obviously chose now to relax instead of clean, considering that I found them in the dining room a second later, all sharing a bottle of Mark's imported wine.

All of them were beginning to get tipsy. They were so inebriated that I had walked completely into the room and stopped about a foot from the table before they noticed me. They all shut up then, looking frightened and sheepish. Looking at each flushed face, I saw the real fear they each had. The fear of losing their job. I sighed.

"I won't tell anyone but it better not happen again. That wine belongs to Mark and I know he'd get mad if he found out about this." I told them before taking the bottle from the middle of the table and returning the cork to it that had been popped across the room. Taking the six glasses that sat there, I carried it all into the kitchen.

I had just begun to wash the glasses when someone took the glass I had from me. It was a maid. "Please allow me to get that miss." She told me, a grateful smile on her face. Returning the smile, I took a step back and attempted to return the bottle of wine to a door that was marked 'wine cellar' in Japanese.

When I opened the door, I had to take a step back, a little bit frightened. It was extremely cold and creepy down there. Thankfully, a relieved butler agreed to run down and return the bottle for me.

As I sat down and accepted the offer of an after school snack, each of the hired help decided to properly introduce themselves. The three maids were all between the ages of thirty and sixty. The youngest was Aiko, a skiddish and very thin woman with a sort of sour personality, the second eldest was Katsumi, a friendly woman with refined manners and the eldest maid was Mari.

You could tell that Mari had seniority over the other workers. Kind of the same way a den mother would have over a troop of scouts. They all had a sort of respect in their voices when they spoke to her. When I asked her about it, she told me that it was probably because she had worked for Mark's father as well as the father of Mark's father. Mark's father. My father... I made a mental note to ask her about him later.

The three butlers were anywhere from forty to sixty. The youngest, Goro, looked extremely carefree and friendly. The second eldest, Hotaka, was silent and other than when he was drunk, never really said a word. The eldest of the butlers was Junichi. He was a little younger than Mari and he seemed kind of mean.

When they had finished telling me how they all came to work for Mark, I finally finished eating and excused myself to my room for a hot shower. I was beginning to freeze because my uniform was damp. I said a silent prayer that the rain wouldn't do any damage to the delicate fabric of the uniform. I'd hate to find out that it was dry clean only.

When I was done in the shower, I brushed my hair out before blow drying it and throwing on jeans and a summery green blouse. Putting on some shoes, I decided that it was about time to explore the house. I had finished all my homework at school so I would be free to goof off till supper.

Taking a peak into all the upstairs rooms, I saw that they were either bathrooms, bedrooms or studies. Guessing that all the employee rooms were downstairs, I opened the last door at the end of the upstairs hallway, surprised to find a staircase. Looking behind me quickly, I pulled the chain that turned on the light above the stairs and looked up.

An attic. Locating a flashlight that was sitting on the shelf by the stairs, I turned it on and shined it ahead of me and I took my first step on the stairs. Normally I'd be pretty freaked out to be in the dark like this. But considering the cobwebs, this area looked to be unexplored. The mystery outweighed my fear of the dark.

The first thing the light of the flashlight caught was a waist high bookshelf that took up the entire back wall. It was filled to the brim with books. Determining to check those out later, I shined the flashlight to the left and found a table scattered with folders. Peaking into a few, I saw that it was all Mark's old medical papers. This must be where he stores it all when the hospital no longer has purpose for it.

To the right, I found a small collection of painting leaning against the far wall. One in particular caught my eye. It was one of my dad. He was young in it. Probably only twenty or so. The violet eyes were a dead giveaway. Seeing the picture made my eyes sting so I respectfully put it aside before making it face the wall.

There were also paintings of Mark and of a woman with Mark's hair color but gray eyes. Maybe his mom?

"What are you doing up here Avianna?" A voice called, startling me. Turning around, I saw Mark silently walking up the stairs.

"Sorry. I was just looking around." I told him before inching away from the paintings.

He didn't look angry, just a little concerned. "You shouldn't go snooping up here. It's where I keep my old medical records. All of those records are still important even though I don't use them anymore and I wouldn't want them getting lost." As he spoke, his eyes drifted to the painting of dad that I had turned to face the wall. He looked like he was about to say something about it but decided against it.

"Is it alright if I pick out a book to read?" I asked before backing towards the bookshelf.

He laughed. "I doubt you would enjoy those books. They're all medical books. Come on. Dinner will be ready in a minute."

After one last look at the attic, I followed Mark back down to the second floor. When he had shut the door, we both went downstairs to have dinner.

"I'll need you to clear up your schedule for Saturday evening." Mark told me as he scooped a second helping of Teriaki chicken onto his plate.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well... There's a very important dinner that will be going on then that will determine the direction my company will take here. I need you to get dressed up and attend it with me. The Ouran public is already aware of you being here in Japan so it would be expected for you to attend the dinner with me. If the Ouran public is aware than so is everyone else by now."

I sighed. "And where will this special dinner take place?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"The home of Yoshio Ootori. Originally, I had planned to host them for that evening. But surprisingly, before I could even ask, Yoshio himself asked that I and my family dine with him to further discuss the possibility of a merger." Mark explained, seeming very pleased with the turn of events.

"Why do I have to go other than to save face?" I asked after finishing my final bite of food. Mari was there right away to take my plate. I wouldn't have asked this question if not for the suddenly nervous look that took over Mark's face when he had tried to explain earlier just why I needed to be there.

The nervous look was back then. His shifty eyes looked to the side, probably trying to form a response. "Well...Yoshio Ootori sort of...asked... that you go too."

I was taken off guard by Mark's confession. So much so that I nearly dropped the plate of dessert I just accepted from Mari. Sitting it down carefully, I gave Mark an incredulous stare. "Why does he want me there?"

Mark's mousy persona came back full force. "Apparently... His youngest son has mentioned you in conversation. You were mentioned by me at the country club I met Yoshio and his sons at. The second I said your name, Mr. Ootori seemed to know you right away. He told me that his son told him that you and him were classmates. And now Mr. Ootori demands your presence at the dinner this Saturday."

Mark didn't say another word on the subject and I honestly couldn't think of a single question or statement to bring it back up. The rest of the night flew by as I tried to wrap my head around why Kyoya Ootori would tell his father all about me. So much so that Yoshio Ootori would want me at that dinner.

I was only vaguely aware of the shower I took that night and even less aware of getting into bed after dressing in my pajamas. By the time I found my alertness, I was walking through the doors of Ouran Academy.

I had chosen to arrive early that day, wanting to talk to Kyoya about it. When I made it to the end of the hall where the club room was, I was surprised to find Kyoya just arriving. He had just retrieved a set of keys from his trouser pocket and was unlocking the big white doors.

"Kyoya." I called. I must have startled him because he ended up dropping the keys. Before even bothering to look in my direction, he gracefully knelt down and picked the keys up with his thumb and index finger before standing up and placing them back in his pocket.

By that time, I had walked to his side. He glanced at me as he opened the door. "Miss. Yukimura. You're early today. Very early in fact. School doesn't start for an hour."

He paused at the door to turn on all the lights, illuminating the music room in a very regal sort of way. The chandeliers above me were practically blinding me so I walked to the far wall where it was slightly less bright and sat on a window seat. He had been following me up to this point. He paused and sat his computer case on a nearby table along with his school bag.

"I'm guessing that this isn't merely a social visit." He said in that muted voice of his. Even with the softness of it, he articulated his words so well that I never misunderstood a single thing he said.

Shaking my head, I looked down and tried to think of how to put what I wanted to say. Thinking back, I probably should have put more thought into this while on the way to school. Looking up, I gave him a confused look. "Why does your father want me to attend the dinner Saturday night?"

He didn't seem to be confused about which dinner I was referring to so I guessed that he had already known about the dinner. "I don't know." He stated simply. The way he tilted his head, causing a glare on the lenses of his glasses, made me wonder if he was lying.

"But you've already told your father about me, right?"

"What makes you think that?" He asked before leaning against the table his bags sat on. Crossing one leg over the other, he placed his hands in his trouser pockets, the picture of ease in an uncomfortable conversation.

"Because Mark told me that your father seemed to know exactly who I was when he brought me up." I leaned against the window and sighed, realizing the absurdity of the topic. It shouldn't matter. Not to me or anyone else. So why does it?

"My father prefers that I tell him about every single person that enters my life." He finally said after a very long silence.

"Why do you think he wants me at the dinner?" I mumbled. "I'm not exactly the richest person in this school. If this dinner is all about your father and my brother wanting to form a merger then why is it imperative that I go?"

"If you don't want to go, tell your brother that, I'm sure my father will understand." He said this casually but I could tell by the uncomfortable look in his eyes that he didn't mean it.

"But-" I bit my lip in frustration. "Mark's hiding something. He knows why I'm wanted there. I can see it in his eyes when he brings up me needing to be there. I'd rather not be the only one in the dark. Just tell me why your dad demands that I'm there."

The set of Kyoya's jaw made me uncomfortable. He was frustrated with my questions, that much I knew. Well... as long as I was angering the son of one of the most powerful men in Japan, I might as well keep pushing. When he hadn't responded for about half a minute, I stood up. "Tell me, okay?"

He glared, bringing his hands from his pockets, he crossed his arms, his fists clenched. "It's his...idea. His... theory that it would make the merger more permanent."

"How does he plan on doing that?" I asked, confused.

"You're common." He finally said. "It doesn't matter who your brother is or your father or even your grandfather. Because of how you lived your life, you are common... But that's what my father likes. That despite your background, you still are the granddaughter Isao Yukimura. Isao is a name that my social class has learned to fear. A wealthy man that could swipe my father's medical company from under him at the slightest show of weakness in the company."

Still confused, I sighed. "You're making no sense. Does it mean he just wants to meet me and see if he can get to my grandfather through me? Good luck with that. My grandfather isn't in my life."

The tendons on the back of Kyoya's hands became more prominent. A sign that he was clenching his fists very tightly. I was starting to guess that he did that when he was angry. I was cornering him with all these questions but I didn't want to stop now. Not while I'm ahead.

Finally, his hands relaxed and the anger on his face was replaced with worry. "It's none of my business. Not yet. It will be if my father succeeds..." He said in the softest tone I've ever heard him use. "...But the day this becomes my business, it will also be yours. My father wants to create a bond... a special one that is stronger than any merger. He wants... a marriage."

The blood rushed from my face as it finally hit me like a bulldozer. "He...Your father...Want a marriage between..."

He nodded. "You and I, Miss. Yukimura. That is the plan. But if you or your brother or even I refuse to go along with any of this, than my father has other ways to get what he wants..."

"And...what ways are they?"

He looked even more subdued now. "If you, your brother or myself contest my father's wishes for the future generations to wed... than my father will give you a choice. He's an impatient man and he won't give any offer to you twice...If you refuse to accept his proposal... than he will refuse to accept the merger and he will do everything in his power to make sure your brother's company burns."

**D: WHAT DID YOU THINK?**

**ATTENTION: I REALLY HATE TO DO THIS BUT THERE'S SPECIFIC REASONING FOR ME SAYING THIS. I MAY NOT UPDATE FOR A WHILE. I'VE GOT ANOTHER STORY I'M PLANNING ON WORKING ON AND I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY THIS SUMMER AND THAT'S NOT ABOUT TO CHANGE. SORRY FOR THE CONSTANT WAITING. :( I'D UNDERSTAND IF YOU DECIDED TO STOP READING THE STORY ALLTOGETHER.**


	8. Thank You For Trying

**ONE REVIEW AND I WAS GRINNING LIKE A NUT. :P THANK YOU PHEONIX. I WAS LOSING INSPIRATION AND THAT REALLY HELPED. :D I HOPE EVERYONE LOVES THIS CHAPTER.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. I DO, HOWEVER, OWN AVIANNA AND HER FAMILY. ESPECIALLY AVIANNA. SHE IS MY MADE UP CHARACTER THAT I'VE BEEN PERFECTING FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.**

**Chapter 8**

_He looked even more subdued now. "If you, your brother or myself contest my father's wishes for the future generations to wed... than my father will give you a choice. He's an impatient man and he won't give any offer to you twice...If you refuse to accept his proposal... than he will refuse to accept the merger and he will do everything in his power to make sure your brother's company burns."_

The announcement of Kyoya's father's wishes sent a chill down my spine and put rocks in my stomach. Things finally in perspective, I realized the ultimatum. Marry the son of Yoshio Ootori or be solely responsible for destroying Mark's company. Neither option sounded good at all.

The look of concern was still plastered on Kyoya face. It intensified when he realized that I was beyond response. "Miss. Yukimura, are you alright?" He asked tentatively as he reached a hand forward, barely making contact with my shoulder.

"Kyoya, what's wrong with her?" I heard another voice ask but I was too far in my own state of mind to think of who it might be. I realized it was Tamaki when he stepped into my line of vision.

"I think she's in shock." I heard Kyoya say.

"Should we slap her? That usually knocks someone out of this kind of thing."

"Don't be an idiot." Kyoya mumbled, agitation coloring his tone. "Go get her some water. Quickly."

I heard footsteps bound away. When I could no longer hear Tamaki's loud steps, Kyoya reached forward and placed his hands on both side of my head before pushing me back and making me sit on a nearby chair. He knelt down so that he was at eye level with me before looking me directly in the eyes. "Miss. Yukimura, are you alright?"

As if his touch had brought some sort of jolt, I finally was able to shake my head and clear it of the faint buzz that had begun to sound in my ears. "That's not fair." I whispered, unable to speak any louder. I surprised both myself and him by beginning to cry. His eyes widened a little and he dropped his hands from the sides of my face.

"I'm sorry." He said quickly, his eyes constantly darting to the direction I guessed that Tamaki had run. "I'm in no position to contest his wishes. Nobody is forcing you to do this. I'm sure that your brother wouldn't ever force your hand either."

Wiping away the few tears that had trailed down my face, I sniffed. "I don't want Mark to lose his company."

"He won't lose whatever company he has in America still. He'll just ruin his chances of ever being successful in Japan by not getting this merger. There are other countries. Other places in America even."

I shook my head. "But this merger will be good for him, right? The best possible choice. Right?"

After a moment, he nodded. "Yes. The best possible choice indeed. The only choice that would allow his company to grow properly."

I had to look down before making this next statement. "I hardly know who you are."

"Most people from my social class don't know who their intended is before the arrangements have been made. The fact that we've known each other for as we have before hearing of this idea is rare." He paused, seeming to choose his next words carefully. "Like I said. No one is forcing your hand. This still is your choice."

I was thankful for Kyoya's concern. I'd hate for him to decide to be frigid and unfeeling at a time like this. "And Mark is completely aware of what your father wants?"

Kyoya nodded. "I was at the luncheon it was discussed at. My father wastes no time in making his sentiments known."

"What if..." I tried to think desperately of another way out but there really wasn't one. "I don't want Mark to lose his company but I'm really not ready to be married." I nearly shouted but clammed up when I saw Tamaki run back in the room with that goofy grin of his.

"Found a bottle of water!" He yelled before running up and handing it to me. I accepted it gratefully and took a long drink before glancing back at Kyoya. He had stood up as Tamaki entered the room and was now pulling his computer from its bag.

"Thank you." I told Tamaki.

"Anytime princess." He grinned, making me grin. He had that sort of contagious, bubbly personality that was nice to be around when he wasn't being completely full of himself.

"Hey guys. You're here early." I heard a familiar voice say. Glancing to the side, I saw that Haruhi Fujioka had arrived. "Hello Miss. Yukimura." He smiled brightly. As if by a magnetic force, Tamaki was up in a second and was scooting across the room towards him. Tamaki poked him on the arm with a puppy dog face.

"Pretty please?" He asked.

After a second, Haruhi sighed. "Fine. I'll make some instant coffee."

Tamaki seemed more than happy to follow him into a side room, leaving Kyoya and I alone once again. Looking down, I tried to fight the blush. "What is it that you think we should do?" I asked suddenly, surprising myself by the casualness in my voice.

He looked up suddenly from his computer, slight confusion on his frustrated face. "Well, naturally, I am to sit aside and wait for my father's decisions."

I raised an eyebrow. "And that's enough for you? Always in the shadow of someone else, always responding to their beck and call?"

The frustration on his face faded, leaving only the confusion. He acted as if I had just asked him what the meaning of life was. "I've gone against my father's wishes. But in this certain situation, I don't consider it wise. There is a lot more at stake than my own selfish desires."

My eyes stung, tears wanting to return. "So you're saying I should sit back and allow my future to be mapped out by a brother I didn't even know I had three weeks ago and a man I've never met before?"

He grimaced. "I was brought up to follow orders. About everything. It is just how things are for me. But you have a choice in this. If you wish to disconnect yourself from it all, tell your brother directly after school. Or now if you can."

I looked out the window, trying to hide the traitor tear that finally fell. "I can't imagine telling Mark to his face that I'm going to let his company burn... He's worked too hard for it."

I heard Kyoya get up from his seat but I didn't have the heart to look at him. I heard his footsteps stop directly in front of me before I saw his hand reach for my face again. He caught my chin and made me face him. I blushed.

"Here's what I think we should do. Wait till Saturday. Pretend that you don't know at all. At the dinner, you and I will announce that you were aware of it the entire time and then we will both try our best to convince my father of another way. I'll think of one. I'm sure there's some other way to handle this."

"But why wait?" I tried to ask but he was quick to explain.

"To give me time to find out if my father is weighing any more options. Trust me." Looking at how sure he was of his ability to convince his father of choosing another way, I did trust him. He could handle this.

"How can I help?" I asked him.

He shook his head before dropping his hand from my face and straightening up. "Just act as if you are ignorant of the proposal. If they think you know, they'll go ahead and push us into it right away. I need that time we still have to find another way."

"Hey guys!" I heard Haruhi call from across the room. "Anyone else want some coffee?"

I wanted to tell Kyoya that I wanted more to do that could help. Just sitting at home and playing stupid didn't seem like it would do much good but Kyoya seemed sure of his plan. Holding to my vow to trust him, I dropped the subject and went on with the rest of my day.

By the end of school, I was anxious to get to the club room. I wanted to get there as soon as possible so I could get the final, one on one time slot with him for the club meeting. Hopefully, none of his fan girls would be around the table so that we could talk more privately.

Mina and Rinae met me outside of my classroom after the bell rang, both ready to escort me to the club room. Surprising them both, I walked more quickly, getting about five steps ahead of them. I was the first into the club room and the first to write my name on the list. Choosing the correct space I wanted, I handed Kyoya the clipboard and went to take a seat with the girls.

"What was that all about?" Mina asked.

Rinae was grinning. "She wanted to get one on one time with her favored host, huh? Isn't that right?"

I blushed. I couldn't possibly tell them why. If I was going to play dumb about it all, I couldn't tell anyone. Even the most trusted people could somehow get the information to the wrong people. I shrugged my shoulders and tried my best to ignore their prodding questions until my name was finally called.

I jumped up at the sound of it and rushed quickly to Kyoya's table. I was relieved to see that none of his guests were anywhere near the table. He didn't seem surprised to see me at all. Just like that first club meeting, he closed his laptop and put it to the side.

"It didn't occur to me to say it earlier but I'll say it now." He began. "When I say you should not tell Mark, I mean you should not tell anyone. Not your friends or anyone."

I nodded. "I figured as much already."

His eyes scanned the room for a second, something he seemed to do quite often. Although people say that Tamaki is the King of the host club, anyone with eyes could see that it was really Kyoya who handled everything. Nothing went unnoticed under his watch. When he saw that nothing was on fire and everything was as it should be, he looked back at me.

"How are you today, Miss. Yukimura?" He asked, a very faint and obliging smile on his face. It was kind of funny yet kind of insulting to watch him switch into his compliant host persona. He didn't have to pretend for me. I considered telling him so but he'd probably pretend that he wasn't and ignore my insisting.

"I'm fine." I finally said, trying to think of a question to ask him that would seem casual but at the same time, answer some of my burning questions about what his family was like. Nothing came to mind.

"You look confused. Can I help you with anything Miss. Yukimura?" He finally asked after a long awkward silence.

I shook my head. "No, I'm just...I don't know." I couldn't seem to focus on anything at all except what Kyoya's father wanted to happen. I can't even think about the possibility of marriage. I'm seventeen...

"Miss. Yukimura." Kyoya whispered, making me look at him by the tone in which he said my name. "Don't worry about it. Not yet." He said firmly, his face nearly emotionless. Somehow, the look in his eyes did help me relax. He'd handle it.

Taking a deep breath, I smiled. "We're worrying your guests." I finally said, my eyes glancing to a table about twenty feet from ours where Megumi and her little clique sat. They each had dumbstruck looks on their faces. It was them that I realized that Kyoya had leaned nearly halfway over the table to look me directly in the eyes. Sitting completely back in my chair, I blushed.

He leaned back as well, his eyes glancing in the direction of the girls, looking only half interested. "They're wondering why I'm focusing so much on our conversation." He stated as if he knew that it was exactly that.

"Probably." I looked at the clock for a second. Only a few minutes left and I would have to give up my seat. "Kyoya?" I said quickly, hoping to find something to say. I really hadn't thought through any questions yet.

"Yes?" He raised a dark brow, his focus still completely on me.

"What...What should I do about Mark if he brings it up?"

He was quick to give me an answer. He'd obviously thought about it already. "He won't. My father asked him not to."

I thought about this. "Then why did you willingly tell me? Didn't your father tell you not to say anything?"

He nodded after a second. "Yes...But this concerns you and your future as well. I didn't think it fair to spring the news on you the night my father wanted everything to take affect."

I bit my lip, trying not to get emotional over the entire thing. "I don't know what to do. If... If things end up not working out, I don't know what I should say..."

He opened his mouth, ready to respond. Instead, the soft ring of the time bell caused a commotion. Everyone was getting up and guests were coming to take the places of other guests. I had to get up quickly to prevent an approaching Megumi from starting a fight. She looked ready to kill.

Giving Kyoya one last look, I walked away from the table and exited the club room. I had told Mr. Kobayashi to pick me up at five. It was still sort of raining so I couldn't wait in the rose garden. I remembered the umbrella Kyoya had lent me. I should get it from my locker and give it back before I forget.

Walking around the corner of the hallway, I went down the stairs and went to the locker section in the back. Opening my locker, I took the umbrella and admired the golden handle. Carefully placing it under my arm, I replaced the lock on my locker and went back upstairs. By the time I made it back, Megumi was still at the table with him along with her friends.

As I walked to the wall and stood about ten feet from his table, I waited for him to glance over. When he did, I gave him a small smile and placed his umbrella on the window seat next to me. He nodded and I left. Maybe I could spend the rest of the time in the library.

Once inside Ouran's large library, I headed directly to the back and started to glance around at the many many novels. I haven't seen this many books since my mom and I took a trip to Washington D.C. to see the Library of Congress.

There was a set of french doors at the back. Through them was a little garden with a large stone mural as its centerpiece. Deciding to step into the drizzling rain, I went to look at all of the paintings that were put directly into the stone. I was surprised to see a picture of Kyoya put into the stone near the middle along with five other people. Three boys his age and a girl who looked like she could be the female twin of Kyoya. Looking at the caption, I saw that it was Kyoya's father, sister and brothers when they all had gone to Ouran themselves. They must add paintings every time a new generation attends.

Looking closer to the top, I saw a picture of Tamaki along with a young brunette man. The caption said that it was a painting of the chairman of the school when he was young along with his son, Tamaki Suoh. I was surprised to find paintings of all of the hosts on the mural along with their families and several other students.

Looking at all these pictures, it made me wish that I could find my own father's picture. But I wouldn't. According to what he told me, he and my grandmother had immigrated to America when he was fifteen. Shivering from the cold that the rain brought, I went back inside, grateful that the library was very warm.

By the time five rolled around, my uniform had dried and my hair was nearly dry. Getting up from the table I had been sitting at, I returned the book I was reading to the shelf and exited the library. I saw the hosts all walking down the stairs then, guests surrounding them. Even Mina and Rinae were still here.

I sighed. I'd never get a chance to hear what Kyoya's response was going to be at the rate these girls are crowding him. Giving up on trying, I walked quickly out the door and got into the waiting town car. Mr. Kobayashi turned around to ask how school was before facing the road and driving away.

Just as Kyoya had predicted, Mark never once brought up the proposal idea. After dinner, I excused myself to my room for the night. I really didn't want to give Mark any longer to possibly give up on the secret and bring it up anyway. I didn't know what I could say to him regardless since Kyoya seemed so sure that it wouldn't be brought up as long as I didn't say anything myself.

As I shut the door to my room and headed towards the bathroom to take a shower, I thought briefly of the possibility of Kyoya's plan failing. What if I really had to choose between getting away from an arranged marriage and helping Mark's company? Well... I don't owe anything to Mark... There was one thing I knew for certain though. If I chose to refuse the proposal, Mark would put me on the first plane back to America.

I began to cry as I stood in the shower. I'm only seventeen. I'm not supposed to have this sort of pressure put on me. Something in me knew that going to Japan would be my greatest adventure. I wish I had known this ahead of time... I never would have considered going.

As I toweled off and put on my pajamas, I noticed the golden necklace sitting on my vanity. I still wondered who had chosen it. Knowing Kyoya for the short time I have, I already know that he'd never select something like this. It was obvious now that Tamaki went with him to get it.

As I was getting into bed that night, I sent a quick text to my mom, telling her that I was having a wonderful time in Japan and that she shouldn't worry too much. I had to laugh bitterly to myself for a moment. It was the exact opposite of how I was really feeling.

Laying down, I was just about to fall asleep when a knock came at the door. Surprised, I sat up and went to answer it. On the other side of the door stood a rather sheepish Mark, looking like he wanted to confess something. A cold chill went down my spine. Oh no... "Yeah?"

"Are you sleeping?" He asked, glancing at my pajamas.

'Yes. I'm just sleep walking.' I thought with a little sarcasm. "No, I'm up. Did you need anything?"

"Can I come in? There's something I really need to tell you. It's important."

"Could it wait till morning?" I asked quickly, figuring that Mark felt guilty enough to want to confess about the proposal idea.

He looked to the side. "Um... Never mind. Don't worry about it. It's really not important."

I felt a pain in my chest. He backed out. He's actually gonna wait to tell me until Saturday, when it's actually happening. "Sure, okay." I nearly winced. "Night Mark."

He nodded, looking even more sheepish. "Night. See you in the morning. Don't forget to clear your schedule for Saturday."

I nodded and slammed the door in his face. If he was really expecting me to be ambushed on Saturday and pressured into accepting than he didn't deserve any kindness. Locking the door, I went back to bed. At some point that night, the pain and confusion gave way to anger.

The next morning, I got up very early and had Mr. Kobayashi drop me off at the same time he had yesterday. When I made it to the club room, I walked right in the dim room and found Kyoya sitting at one of the window seats, his laptop sitting on his knee as he typed.

"Kyoya." I called very softly but he heard me anyway. He beckoned me forward with his finger. I shyly crossed the room and took a seat on the window seat beside him. He closed his laptop and put it on the floor beside his foot. "He was about to tell me last night. He chickened out." I told Kyoya quickly before he could say anything.

"At least he feels guilty enough to try and explain." Kyoya murmured, his eyes tight.

I finally realized that this was the time to ask. "If... things don't work out... If there is no way around this... What should I do?"

"Exactly what you want. This isn't your burden to bear."

After a moment of deep thought, I finally sighed. "My father wanted me to come to Japan. I think he even wanted me to go to school here. He always mentioned it. Always longed to see it. But he never even went to school here. At least, not high school. I think it was always his plan for Japan to be a part of me. To give up now and be forced to leave Japan... I don't think my father would want that. But I don't have any other way to stay except through Mark.

I wanted more time to just be here. To just see the things I should see. I don't want to go back to America and I don't want to be forced into an arranged marriage. What on earth am I supposed to do..." As I spoke, my voice got lower and lower until it was barely a whisper.

I heard him exhale, his breath coming out just a tad bit shaky. "I can't give you the answer because I don't know the answer."

I looked up at him, my expression pained. "Would you even be happy with spending the rest of your life with me?"

He looked at me for a long time, his expression unreadable. Finally, he shook his head slightly. "I don't know. But whether or not I am happy has nothing to do with it. Marriage for you isn't what marriage for me is."

I felt extremely sorry for him suddenly. Even if it wasn't me that he married, he'd one day be forced to marry some girl like Megumi or maybe even Megumi herself. He has no choice in anything he does. It made me wonder why he put up with it. He seems so smart. He could get away from his family and start his own life, couldn't he?

"Why not leave?" I asked him without thinking. "Why not just pack your bags, demand your inheritance and start your own life?"

He gave me an unfathomable stare. "You make it sound so easy. I'm in no position to leave. Maybe... in a year or so when I'm graduated and have a better idea of how to go about things..."

I sighed. "You're kidding, right? You're Kyoya Ootori for heaven's sake. You have all this enormous responsibility put on your shoulders by your family and you selflessly put more on top of it by dealing with the host club and all its guests and you somehow make something great out of every little thing passed your way. You're smart and you seem to know exactly how to go about everything. Smart, dedicated people like you could walk out the door right now and create an incredible life for themselves. So why not do it?"

The complete shock on his face made me happy I was able to phase him. "You have that much unquestioning faith in my abilities that you think I could leave right now and have a great life?"

I nodded immediately. "Absolutely."

His eyes wavered from the intense stare he had been giving me up until now. He shook his head. "No. It really isn't that simple. My inheritance won't be given to me until I reach eighteen and..."

"How long till you turn eighteen?" I asked, interrupting him.

"I'll turn eighteen December eighteenth."

"Then why not?"

He seemed to really be thinking through what I was saying. "Then what about you? Where does that leave you?"

"It takes away one of my options. It makes it to where I don't have to worry about it at all and I can...leave Japan... I have a feeling that that's what Mark will want if the proposal falls through..."

"If I leave my father's home, I forfeit my right to attend Ouran Academy. It would ruin my plans of college. It would leave my mother all on her own with my father..." He began but shut up quickly. He looked frustrated with himself, his eyes tight and his teeth clenched.

He didn't have to finish. I knew what he meant. My friend Stephanie, from America, had an abusive father who would often beat her mother and even Stephanie herself on occasion. He had been put in prison about a year ago.

I looked at Kyoya in a different light. He probably would have left already if not for his mother. He has to think of her too. And divorce wasn't something you ever heard of in the higher classes except when it absolutely had to happen. And abuse was never a very good reason.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, trying to apologize for everything I've ever said so far to frustrate him or for when I up painful things.

"It's quite alright." He said rigidly before standing and picking up his laptop. He placed his computer back in its bag and zipped it up before placing it on the table near us. "Just stick to what I've said, alright? Don't say a word to anyone about it. I've got a lead. I might have an answer for you by tomorrow."

It wasn't long after that that the other hosts began to arrive. All of them had grown accustom to me being there every morning. Each would take the time to sit and talk with me. Especially Haruhi, who now insisted that we go by first names without any sort of formality.

Honey senpai and his older cousin enjoyed sitting with me and would offer me cake. Although Mori Senpai didn't enjoy talking at all, he seemed to convey a lot of his friendliness with his eyes and even his posture.

It seemed like the twins would be content to ignore me if not for the way Kyoya seemed to hover around me when I was there. Even I noticed it. If he wasn't sitting right beside me, talking, he would sit at a nearby table, his eyes always scanning the room regularly and landing on me with a pointed stare. I didn't know what he meant by it and I didn't think it wise to ask.

By Saturday, Kyoya and I felt no need in hiding our new found friendship. After spending some time in the club room that morning, we walked directly to class together, standing not even a foot apart. Megumi seemed particularly unfriendly lately. Special attention to any specific guest was an unspoken rule in the host club. Tamaki specifically scolded Kyoya for it, not realizing that there was a reason for me always being there. It's not like Kyoya could tell Tamaki. News of Mr. Ootori's plan could get to the chairman that way.

I wasn't able to get a one on one spot with Kyoya that day so I had to sit in the final group with Megumi and her friends. If they couldn't manage a one on one time slot, they all preferred the last slot since it lasted five minutes longer than any of the other slots. When the meeting ended and all the guests had said their goodbyes, Kyoya offered to give me a ride home, a strange gesture for him since it wasn't raining and it was such a sunny day that I had fully intended on walking back to Mark's.

"Are you sure?" I asked him once he had said his goodbyes to the few remaining hosts. All the guests had left already along with some of the hosts, leaving only Honey and Mori senpai, Kyoya and myself.

He nodded. "Yes, if you wouldn't mind."

When his limo arrived, Kyoya opened the door for me and let me slide in before getting in himself. As soon as the limo began to move, he turned in his seat to face me. "You and your brother are supposed to arrive at my house at seven. Remember not to say a word to let anyone know that you're aware. I'm..."

"Yeah?" I asked, hoping beyond all hope that he had finally come up with a plan. Each day, I had asked him if he had come up with anything and each day, he told me that he was still working on a lead.

He gave me a sincerely apologetic look. "I've found a lead and I thought I could get him to go with it too but it's... I want you to come tonight being fully prepared to make a decision. I'll do my best to follow through with everything but... It's a long shot."

I winced. "Thanks for trying..."

"We're here." He told me, looking behind me. Turning around, I looked at the house in dismay. "Go inside and get ready. I'm sorry." He tacked the last bit on at the end as an afterthought but he seemed to really mean it.

"You don't need to apologize Kyoya, it isn't your fault." I told him as I opened the limo's left side door.

Blushing, I tried to find the will to get out of the limo. I was scared to enter the house. I knew that the second I did, I'd have to hurry and get ready before being thrown into Mark's special occasion limo and forced to go to a dinner that could possibly determine my fate.

Leaning back into the seat, I glanced and Kyoya and acted on impulse. Quickly leaning up, I kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you for trying." I told him sincerely before getting out and shutting the black door between us.


	9. The Dinner

**I LOVED ALL THE REVIEWS FROM CHAPTER EIGHT. :D THEY MEAN A LOT. THANK YOU ALL.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC AT ALL. PROMISE. :(**

**AND I KNOW I SAID I WAS GONNA BE A WHILE AT UPDATING BUT I HAVE SOME UNEXPECTED FREE TIME TODAY AND SOME NEWFOUND INSPIRATION. :) PLEASE ENJOY CHAPTER NINE. **

**Chapter 9**

Once inside the house, I had to pause with my back to the door. I couldn't pretend that I didn't see the blush that had barely formed on Kyoya's face when I leaned over and kissed his cheek. I imagined him looking out the window of his limo as it drove away from my house, a confused look on his face. I mentally scolded myself for doing something that bold. Considering the situation and how neither of us wanted the marriage, I really shouldn't have done that.

I had barely a minute to think this all through before Mark practically ran down the stairs and targeted me. "Get ready! We have to leave in half an hour!"

Trying to shove down the hysteria I suddenly felt, I ran past Mark, up the stairs and into my room. I had put a knee length dress on a hook on my closet the night before. Grabbing the black dress, I ran to the bathroom and put it on before brushing my teeth and then grabbing a curling iron and attempting to arrange my hair.

**(A/N: Link for a picture of the dress on my profile. :D Just in case you wanna know exactly what it looks like.)**

While my curling iron heated up, I applied some light makeup and really tried to think of an answer. If I said no, mom would take me back with open arms. She's been begging me to come home since I left. I really didn't want Mark to hate me for ruining his chances of making a merger in Japan. I really didn't want to leave Japan. Every day that I was here, I was completely sure that this is where my father would want me to be.

Picking up my curling iron, I set to work. When the top layer of my hair had been put back in a barrette and all the ends curled lightly, I pinned back my bangs with some bobby pins and put on some strappy black heels. Mark was waiting by the door, looking impatient, when I finally made it downstairs.

"You're gonna make us late. Get in the car." He ordered before shooing me out and locking the door behind us. "I told you it was a bad idea to stay for the club meeting."

I sighed, feeling hurt and uncomfortable. I didn't even want to be on the same continent with Mark right now, let alone the same limo. The ride there was silent. The only noise was the sound of Mark's phone as he quickly texted several people. He had a briefcase with him, sitting at his feet.

He glanced at me as we entered the large iron gates of the Ootori mansion. "This is an important thing for me. Be on your best behavior. Be obliging. Okay?"

I looked at him, giving him the most empty look I could muster. "Of course. I'll do whatever it is you need me to do."

He seemed taken back by my response for a second before regaining his composure. As the limo stopped, we waited for the valet to open Mark's door. Mark got out and reached in, taking my hand and helping me out. He stepped forward then, always changing his pace so he remained two steps ahead of me the entire time.

At the door, a line of butlers and maids were waiting. In the very middle of the foyer was Kyoya, two boys who were a few years older than him, an older girl that looked a lot like Kyoya, a man that didn't look anything like the family and a man and woman I guessed to be Mr. and Mrs. Ootori.

"Welcome Mark Yukimura." Mr. Ootori said with authority. He stepped forward and shook Mark's hand, a forced but nonetheless obliging smile on his face.

Kyoya gave me a cautious look, making me feel very sick. I still didn't know what to say if I were forced to choose. I'd end up disappointing someone in the end. Something I tried to avoid at all costs.

"Hello Mr. Ootori. Please let me present my sister, Avianna." He said with a understated wave of his hand. I bowed formally, not speaking a word.

"Welcome to my home." Mr. Ootori said politely before taking my hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. I tried not to cringe. Everything about this man told me he was very unkind and was only playing the part right now.

"Thank you." I said politely, grateful when he let go of my hand.

He put his attention back to Mark then. "Let me introduce my family. This is my wife, Akahana, my two eldest sons, Ichiro and Jiro, my daughter, Fuyumi, her husband Lee and my youngest son, Kyoya."

I bowed to each of them, along with Mark. "It's wonderful to meet you all." Mark said with great respect. I repressed the huge sigh that wanted to escape. I really didn't want to be here.

Mr. Ootori seemed pleased with his obliging Mark was. "Please, let us enter the dining room. Our chefs had prepared a wonderful meal for us. I hope you don't mind French cuisine."

Mark assured him that we both loved all French foods before looping his arm in mine and practically dragging me to the dining room. When we were all seating, a tray of what they called 'toasted brie with pesto sauce' was placed in front of me and every other person. I focused on which silverware Kyoya picked up, not wanting to look stupid.

After we all finished that, the chefs brought out 'canard a l'orange' for us to eat. It looked like baked chicken with orange colored sauce on it but the chefs explained that it was duck. I've never had duck so I was a bit reluctant to try it. I've always been a picky eater.

All in all it was good, but I hardly tasted it. My focus was on the conversation. Mostly, it consisted of what would be done to better each company should this merger happen. I was waiting with bated breath, wondering who would bring up the proposal first.

Kyoya, more or less, spent most of the dinner giving me pointed stares. He seemed like he was trying to convey his words to me through mind reading. As much as I wanted to somehow leave the table with Kyoya and talk everything out, I knew that was impossible.

As my second course tray was taken from the table, I saw Kyoya actually hand the tray up with both hands. I was the only one to catch the little white paper being slipped from his hand to the waiter's. The waiter walked around the table and collected my tray before discreetly dropping the paper in my lap.

I unfolded it carefully and read his very neat handwriting.

_I did my best. I may not be able to get a chance_

_to talk with you before everything happens. _

_Please be prepared to make a decision. I'm sorry._

I looked up at the sender and gave him a slightly panicked look. I really might have to... I can't even consider doing either option. I pushed the fear to the back of my mind and tried to focus only on my food for the remainder of dinner.

After two more courses, one of which was the most delicious dessert I've ever tasted, the party gathered in one of the mansion's many drawing rooms for tea. Mr. Ootori was very pleased to tell us just how many drawing rooms the mansion had. As I sat by the fire, my teacup warming my hands, Mr. Ootori surprised me by calling my name.

"Miss. Avianna. How would you like to see the garden? It's rather extensive."

I blinked. "Sure. I mean, of course. I'd love too." I smiled politely.

Mr. Ootori snapped in the direction of Kyoya who was sitting on an armchair about five feet from me. "Please escort Miss. Avianna on a tour of the gardens Kyoya. My wife and my other children will retire for the evening. Mark and I need to talk privately."

His smile seemed so kind at the moment that Mark seemed rather giddy about getting to finally discuss the fine print of the agreement they were beginning to have. I followed Kyoya from the room then, my teacup forgotten on the side table I had placed it on. Kyoya wished his family a good night before offering his arm to me and escorting me out the back doors.

Mr. Ootori was right. The garden was extensive. As I stood at the doorway that led to it, I couldn't help but be in awe of the acres of sakura trees and rose bushes. The most noticeable thing in the garden was the large koi pond that had a wooden bridge over it. Kyoya waited until we were standing on the bridge to speak.

"They're discussing it right now." He told me. "It'll be about fifteen or so minutes before they call us back in to tell you what they want to happen."

I nodded, putting all my effort into not crying. "What was the lead you thought you had?"

He seemed to choose his words carefully. "There was a possibility that my father would completely refuse to have anything to do with your family or your brother's company. If that happened, then there certainly wouldn't be any pressure put on you.

I thought this through. Even though it would still end in Mark's company not being able to flourish, I liked that outcome better. "And I've still got no answer."

His posture seemed to become very rigid. "None at all?"

"How do I choose between an arranged marriage and making Mark hate me? I just got my brother in my life. I've just got here... Being in Japan... It makes me feel closer to my father. I don't want to leave but I know that staying will result in..." I didn't finish. Swallowing the huge lump in my throat, I sighed.

I jumped, startled, when he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe Mark will tell him he refuses to put you through that and demand that it not be a qualification for the merger."

"Do you really believe that?" I asked him, looking him in the eyes.

After a moment, he shook his head. "No. I don't."

I looked at the water. Taking a feel deep breathes, I pushed back the tears and said a prayer that things would turn out alright. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard for you too." I said after I was finally in control of my emotions.

"I've been preparing for this moment my entire life." He said softly, taking his hand away from my shoulder and crossing them on the bridge's railing. "Whatever you choose, I really don't care."

His response shocked me. "You don't care who you marry at all?"

He seemed to realize that he had said the wrong thing. "Maybe that's not the right phrase. I mean that I don't care enough to make a big scene. Whoever I marry, I know that I'll have plenty of time later to get to know them. Even if we were to wed, it would be after graduation when it took place. Giving us almost two years to get used to it."

"Still...It would always feel like I never truly got to make a decision." I explained. "Like I had a sword over my head, forcing my hand."

I glanced at him and saw that his eyes were tight. "I'm sorry that you feel that way."

His reaction confused me. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like you think. I mean that... even if things worked out differently and you and I somehow ended up together, I would always want to feel like it was my decision."

He seemed to understand my use of words this time. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, a slight smile on his face. "I've been through this sort of situation before. I was almost pushed into an engagement a year ago. But before the announcement could be made, she was given a better offer and now she's engaged to someone else."

My eyes widened. "I'm sorry." I mumbled, not sure what else to say.

He shook his head. "I barely knew her. No apologies needed. She was a classmate of mine that graduated last year. The engagement lasted for three days. My father and hers tried to get us to spend every waking moment of those three days together, hoping we'd somehow feel that connection necessary to keep us compliant. Not that it would've mattered. Her and I were both bred for compliance. And in those three days, I never once spoke to her this way."

"What way?" I asked, not sure exactly what he meant.

"With any sort of freedom in the things that I said. Because of the way we were both raised, the farthest we ever got in an intimate conversation was discussing who we might want present at the wedding from our group of acquaintances. Other than that, it was the weather. Endlessly the weather. It's not that way with you."

"Because I'm blunt and don't really care about what I say?"

"I would've put it that you were honest but that works too." He straightened out, looking more relaxed than I've seen him since entering the mansion.

I smiled. "Thank you."

He glanced my way again. "For what?"

"For being so understanding about everything. This... This all really scares me. I'm thankful for all you've done. You tried to help undo it all when my own brother wouldn't."

Before he could respond, we heard footsteps approaching.

"Excuse me." Someone said, making me jump. It was a maid. She curtsied. "Young master, your father would like to see you and Miss. Avianna in the drawing room again."

Kyoya nodded and surprised me by taking my hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze and I was thankful for his support. We both walked slowly back into the mansion, my legs shaking just a bit. When we entered the drawing room again, Mr. Ootori and Mark both had wine glasses in their hands.

"Ah, there you two are." Mr. Ootori said with a grin on his face. He seemed to be a lot more agreeable when drunk. Considering how spirited he seemed at the moment, this must not be his first glass of the evening.

"You wished to see us father?" Kyoya asked. He still hadn't dropped my hand, which surprised me. He must need the support as much as me. Or maybe he realizes just how badly I need him on my side right now.

"Yes, take a seat. I have an announcement." When Kyoya and I had both taken a seat on a sofa across from where his father sat, our hands still clasped together, Mark decided to stand up and take a seat on a nearby armchair instead of remaining seated by me. I repressed the urge to glare.

"It is my wish, and Mark's as well, that you both wed exactly a month after you both graduate high school." Kyoya's father said outright, not missing a beat. "This marriage will be beneficial to both the Ootori and the Yukimura families. It will also create a bond that will ensure the success of both Medical companies. My son is already compliant with my wishes. What have you to say Miss. Avianna?"

I took a deep breath, ready to speak my mind. "I've been aware of your wishes from the beginning. If I were to disagree, what would you have to say about it?" I asked, trying to be firm but trying to use a polite voice.

Mr. Ootori didn't even raise an eyebrow. He had expected my defiance. He wasn't even surprised to find out I knew. "If you do not wish to marry my son, then I cannot force you. Mark has made it clear that if this marriage is not accepted by all parties involved, that he desires that you leave for America. If you do not accept, you are aware that your affiliation with anyone from Ouran will cease to exist."

"I-" I tried to speak but Mr. Ootori wasn't finished.

"Also take into consideration that a member of the Ootori family has many opportunities that others do not have. Any college in Japan will gladly accept you and no expense will be spared to assure that your life is full of luxury."

I shook my head. "I don't care about the money or what your status can bring me."

"Is this your answer than?" He asked, his expression slowly hardening. Mark looked ready to jump across the coffee table and strangle me. "Will you or will you not marry my son?"

I tried to ignore everyone and look at it from a sane perspective. I owed nothing to Mark whatsoever. But what did I owe to myself? To my father? Even to Kyoya. Glancing at the boy in question, I saw that he seemed just as anxious as everyone else to hear my answer. The way his brows were set over his eyes told me he was confused as to why I hadn't given an answer yet.

My decision was made. The factors pulling my mind were too heavy for me but I was trying to keep myself level. It helped to know that Kyoya would be there through either decision. Even if I stood and walked out the door right now, he'd most likely help me until I had to leave.

By refusing, I would forfeit my right to live in Japan. I would have to sever all ties with everyone I've met in Japan and I would be responsible for causing damage to Mark's company. He would hate me for it and I would hate myself for bringing all of this down on everyone. But by accepting... I was opening myself up to a boy who I felt like I could quite possibly have feelings for. And who I felt... might just have feelings for me in return.

I looked down and rung my hands for a moment before looking Yoshio Ootori right in the eyes. "I..."


	10. Haruhi's A Girl?

**HOPE YOU ALL LIKED CHAPTER NINE. :) HERE'S CHAPTER TEN. SORRY FOR THE CLIFFY. D: I ALSO REALIZE THAT THE CHAPTER WAS SHORTER THAN MOST. I REALLY WANTED TO LEAVE YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEATS AND THAT REQUIRED A SHORTER CHAPTER SO I COULD STOP RIGHT AT THE PART WHERE SHE HAD YET TO GIVE AN ANSWER.**

**I HOPE YOU ALL SUCCESSFULLY FOUND THE LINK FOR AVIANNA'S DRESS ON MY PROFILE. :)**

**I'M MEGA SURPRISED THAT I AM ACTUALLY ABLE TO KEEP A SERIOUS MOOD IN THIS STORY. I'M LISTENING TO 'BUMBLE BEE' FOR GOODNESS SAKE. XD**

**Chapter 10**

_I looked down and rung my hands for a moment before looking Yoshio Ootori right in the eyes. "I..."_

Before I could properly respond, Kyoya shot from his seat. "She shouldn't have to make this decision!" Kyoya's statement sent a wave of shock through the room. Even Mr. Ootori seemed taken aback by his son's new found boldness.

"Silence!" His father roared, causing Kyoya to sit back down, the fire almost completely leaving his eyes. When Yoshio Ootori was sure that his son wouldn't interrupt again, he turned to me, his expression still livid. "What's your answer?"

I shrunk down, now afraid. I tried to word it the way I wanted to a moment ago but, in the end, I whispered a simple, "I will."

There was a collective 'you will?' that came from the mouths of both Mark and Kyoya. I didn't have the courage to look at either of them. My eyes remained on only Mr. Ootori as I tried to read his thoughts based on his expression. He seemed to calm down considerably.

"There you have it. A smart answer." He said with a casual gesture. "We'll make the announcement in a month, after the companies are merged."

When I finally tore my eyes away from the man I was beginning to despise, I saw that Mark looked very happy with the outcome. I didn't hide my displeasure for him anymore. I glared with all the hostility I could possibly muster before relaxing my gaze as it fell upon Kyoya. He looked mystified. He mouthed the word 'why?' but I couldn't very well answer at this current moment. I didn't even know why myself. Something in me told me it was the right choice. Or maybe I'm just insane. The second possibility seemed more plausible at the moment.

Mr. Ootori downed the rest of his glass before announcing that it had been a nice and eventful evening and that the head maid would escort Mark and myself to our limo. After giving Kyoya's confused face one last look, I was drug from the room like a rag doll by Mark.

On the way home, Mark seemed uncomfortable. He continually shifted in his seat with his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast. As we neared the road that led to his house, he finally spoke. "Are you angry with me?"

"Yes." I whispered. I felt too tired to yell at him. The sun had set at some point after Kyoya and I had been called back into the drawing room and I was now feeling very tired. Mostly because of what I had to go through today.

"I'm sorry."

"Not sorry enough to go back and demand I be freed from this."

"You've made a promise. If you go back on it, I'll send you home and never speak to you again. You can't back out once you've agreed. It would ruin everything."

He said all this while looking out the car window. It hurt and, after a few seconds of fighting them, the tears finally fell. The second the limo stopped, I bolted from it and ran directly in the house and up to my room. Locking myself in, I fell on the bed, wishing dad were here to hug me and tell me that everything would be okay. I can practically hear his voice, imagining exactly what he'd say in this situation.

_'Look at what you've gotten yourself into kiddo. I guess dad's gonna have to go talk some sense into that Ootori man. Now how about you and I go get some ice cream.'_

Hugging a pillow with one hand, I reached back and pulled off my heals. It took me a second but I finally had the energy to crawl up and get under the covers. When the chills that were raking down my back finally gave way to the warmth the covers brought, I was able to fall asleep.

The next morning, I ignored the protests of everyone who tried to get me to leave my room. It was a Sunday and I fully planned to spend it exactly the way I wanted. In bed. When Mark finally gave up on trying to get me to come down for some food, Mari tried her hand. I couldn't really resist when she told me she had a tray full of food in her hands. Besides, Mari had done nothing but me incredibly nice to me from the beginning.

Getting up, I unlocked the door and opened it before crawling back in bed. She sat on the side of it, ever the mother figure, and helped place my tray on a fold out stand so I could eat it right in bed. While I ate my french toast, the first non-Japanese thing I've tasted in this house, she asked me all about the dinner.

"...And then I said 'I will'." I finished my story, still confused as ever. "And I don't know why I did."

She seemed thoughtful as she poured me another glass of orange juice. "Do you have feelings for the boy in question?" She asked and I blushed. Looking down at the lavender bed covers, I nodded. "Well, that makes sense."

I looked up. "It does?"

She grinned. "Perfectly so. You really like this boy. And you seem to me like the type to want to do everything in your power to keep everyone else happy. But in the process, you did something for yourself too."

"But I'm not ready for marriage..." I whispered.

"But you never know. In almost two years, you very well might be. And by then, you may be in a position to back out of the engagement if you aren't."

Looking at it from that perspective, it made more sense than it has since I learned the news of Mr. Ootori's wishes. "Thank you Mari."

When I had finished my food, Mari took the tray downstairs for me. Shutting the door behind her, she left me to rest. As she passed by the stairs, I heard Mark ask about me. "She's not feeling well. Let the poor girl sleep."

If any other maid in any other household had used that sort of commanding tone, they'd be fired on the spot. But this was Mari. She had served three generations of Yukimura men and she knew more about how to run a household than Mark ever will. Mark apologized to her and I didn't hear another word from him all day.

Mari thankfully brought me my lunch and dinner on fold trays as well. Just like at breakfast, she'd sit with me while I ate and let me talk about whatever is on my mind. By dinner, I felt compelled to tell her all about my dad and why I came to Japan in the first place. She even explained that the reason she was in Tokyo is because her own father died when she was seventeen. It left her with few options. She could work in a factory to support herself, accept a family friend's offer of being a Geisha or work as a maid.

Her decision was strongly swayed by the fact that Mari knew what life was like for factory workers and for Geisha. Figuring it her best bet, she was taken by that family friend to Tokyo where she was given living quarters in the Yukimura household. The one my grandfather ran at the time.

I tried asking her about my father but her description was brief. She did specifically let me know that she had been there the day my father was born and that she was one of the maids that went to live with him and my grandmother after the divorce between her and my grandfather.

At first, my father had stayed at a high class apartment. It was after my grandfather tried to demand them back that they decided to travel to America, leaving Mari to take odds and ends jobs until she heard that a Yukimura gentleman was looking for a maid. "At the time, I thought it was your father, deciding to return to Tokyo. It ended up being Mark. Mark explained that his father had died and we spent the entire day after he hired me, talking about him. Mark feels very connected to me because I'm the only person he can really talk to that will tell him anything he wants to know about his father."

"Based on how much you knew about him..." I began and tried to form my words into sentences. "Do you think he would be proud of my decision?"

"To come to Japan and go to Ouran Academy? Yes. I think he'd be very proud of that. To agree to marry someone you barely know for the sake of keeping other people happy, I'm not sure."

I nodded, the tears stinging my eyes again. "I don't think he'd be proud unless he thought I'd always be happy with this decision. And I can't tell whether or not I always will be."

"No one will ever be _always _happy with every decision. There will be ones that make you happy some of the time and ones that make you very unhappy. But the best thing to do is take what you have to work with and try to find a middle ground for it. Try not to focus too much on what you're losing and try focusing on what you're gaining."

I gave her a grateful smile and thanked her for talking with me. She took my dinner tray for me and left me in peace once again. As I lay there, something dawned on me for the first time. My mother and my grandmother...What would they say when I told them I was engaged? What would everyone at Ouran say in a month when the knowledge became public? I cringed. Megumi would kill me.

I spent much of that night trying desperately to fall asleep. I really didn't want another sleepless night headache. Thankfully, I was able to get at least eight hours. Surprising considering how I'd been sleeping off and on all day Sunday. Waking up as early as I could, I took a shower and then got ready for school. Mari was up as well and had my uniform in hand. She had sent it off for dry cleaning yesterday.

"Have a good day at school." She told me before seeing me to the door. When I was nestled in the back of the town car, Mr. Kobayashi began driving the seven blocks to Ouran Academy.

I wasn't as early as I usually am today. By the time I got to the music room, there was only about ten minutes before Tamaki would be expected and ten more than that before Haruhi would be here as well.

"Kyoya." I called the second I walked through the door. He wasn't surprised to see me here anymore. He shut his computer and sat it on the floor near his feet and waited for me to make it to the window seat he was perched on. When I sat, he started in on the questions I saw burning in his eyes a second earlier.

"Why did you accept?" He asked, his focus no on me, but on the approaching storm clouds out the window. I followed his gaze and sort of cringed. Those clouds looked awful. In a matter of hours, we'd be getting a really bad storm. It would probably hit around noon.

"You know my reasons." I mumbled, not wanting to go back into them.

He shook his head, now looking directly at me. "At the very last second, you looked as if you had some sort of epiphany. Something that had just dawned on you then. What was it?"

I tried to think back. The last thing I remembered thinking before accepting was... that I might have feelings for Kyoya and that I think he might have feelings for me. I wasn't about to tell Kyoya that. I looked back out the window. "I really don't know. It just... felt like the right answer."

"You do realize what you've entered into, right? You can't back out of this agreement unless my father or your brother demand it. They won't."

I nodded, surprised by the calmness I felt. "I know." When I had the courage to look back at him, the look of utter confusion on his face was disconcerting. He couldn't believe that I could ever choose an arranged marriage to prevent everyone's anger. I could. "I'm sorry..." I whispered after a moment. "This probably isn't the outcome that you wanted."

"It's not that I don't understand your reasoning. I just figured you would've chose the more difficult path."

"And entering into an arranged marriage isn't the difficult path?"

"It appeased everyone. No one will fight you on it."

"That's not true. My mother and my grandmother. When they find out, I wouldn't put it above them to go directly to Japan and drag me back home. And what about the school. In a month, they'll find out too."

"My father won't allow your family to take you to America. I hope you know that. You've agreed to something under his terms and he'll even go as far as getting your mother and grandmother deported from the country if they travel here and cause problems."

Something in my clicked but I tried to ignore it. I looked down. "I knew what I was getting myself into when I agreed."

He looked beyond response. He shook his head and tore his gaze from my face. The only noise in the large room was the sound of thunder rolling in the distance. "I was prepared to stand beside whatever decision you made. I guess I wasn't as prepared as I thought. It took me off guard. Few things successfully do that."

The strangeness of the situation was almost laughable. A month ago, I was in America, feeling more normal than ever. Now I don't even know the meaning of the word. In one month at the latest, my entire world would be turned upside down. I'd be lucky to keep it from my mom for that long. Mark might have already told her. Considering that my phone wasn't vibrating over and over in my school bag, I figured that wasn't the case.

"There's no way I can tell my mom over a phone call."

"You could invite her to Japan in a month." He recommended.

"I couldn't possibly tell it it was arranged either..." I thought through possible ways to go about this. "If I could somehow convince her that I entered into the engagement willingly because I..." Because I what? Because I'm in love? No. Even she knows how long it takes me to give a person my trust. Two weeks in Japan didn't make the cut.

After a minute, when he didn't respond, I kept talking. "My grandmother will get it. She was married to my grandfather after all. She was from the upper social class so she was probably roped into an arranged marriage too. My mother will die if she hears that that's what it is...Sorry. I'm probably boring you to tears with my talking. Talking helps me make sense of things."

Looking away from the clouds and towards him, I saw that he had leaned his back against the part of the wall the window was placed in. He was staring at me but something told me he wasn't even seeing me. I tried to take a guess at where his thoughts had drug him but nothing came to mind. He looked like he was calculating something.

If he had stayed silent any longer, I probably would've snapped my fingers in front of his face. He finally moved after a second. He leaned up and located his computer. After opening it, he began typing very quickly. I would've figured that he was ignoring me if he didn't pause to scoot closer to me so I could see what was on the screen.

It was a digital picture of an invitation to a gala that the Ootori family was going to be holding a month from now. "What about it?" I asked.

"This is the event that my father will announce everything at. The party will begin at six and and dinner will be served at seven-thirty. At eight, when dinner is well underway, the toasts will begin. My father will always begin and end the toasts. The first toast he makes will be about the merger. After everyone else has finished their toasts, he will finish it all up with the announcement of the engagement."

"And?" I asked, trying to figure out what he was trying to get at.

"He'll only make the announcement here because he knows everyone in the first class circle will be present. This gala is huge. Even most of the students from our school will be present. It's the only party that he could possibly announce it at unless he wants to wait till the Spring festival at Ouran. That one is nearly as big as this gala."

I had hoped that he was trying to tell me he had a way of stopping the engagement at this gala. I realized by the time he finished explaining that he was only trying to explain how it would all happen. "So I should invite my mother and grandmother to this?" I asked, finally piecing it together.

"Exactly. But you really should give them some sort of head notice instead of waiting until the official announcement is made."

"You think I'm insane?" I asked, the question obviously rhetorical but Kyoya didn't realize that.

"Not at all." He answered with slight confusion. "Why?"

"It was sarcasm. I'm saying that ambushing my mom that way would be asking to die." I also meant that as a joke and I'm glad he didn't take it seriously. At least he didn't seem to.

"Tamaki is here." Kyoya said softly. Sure enough, Tamaki's footsteps could be heard outside the door. He jumped into the room and headed for us like a tsunami.

"Kyoya! Avianna!" He screamed as he came to a stop, now bouncing on the balls of his feet. Tamaki must also feel the need to drop formalities. Not that I minded. The last name crap really got annoying sometimes.

"Hey Tamaki." Kyoya and I both said at the same time.

Once Tamaki showed up, the morning time always seemed to take on a more relaxed atmosphere. If I were to say that today would be just like any other day, I'd be lying. Of course, I didn't know it at the time.

Haruhi had showed up a short time later, the twins in tow. Both were whispering something to him about having a new outfit for him to try on. They ended up shoving Haruhi into a side door and giving him a big white box before shutting him in. The twins were snickering to themselves as they bounced away and sat on a couch together.

Five minutes after Haruhi had left the room, I heard a yell and a crash. "Ouch!" He yelled. I was the only one near the room at the time so I leaned my ear against the door. "Are you alright Haruhi?"

He sounded flustered. "Yeah! I just fell is all. I lost a contact. Could you bring me my bag? It has a spare pair in it. Just hang it on the doorknob and I can grab it."

"Yeah!" Turning around, I located Haruhi's bag and ran to the door with it. Hanging it on one of the handles, I knocked. "There's your bag."

"Thanks." He said before opening the door a fraction and reaching around for it. As his shoulder popped out of the crack in the door, I could have sworn I saw a little pink strap. He shut the door quickly after retrieving it, leaving me to stare at the door in confusion.

"Alert! Alert!" The twins suddenly yelled. They both grabbed one of my arms and jerked me back. "What did you see?"

Before I could get too freaked out by their freaky stares, I felt my waist being grabbed. I was suddenly lifted out of the twin's reach and sat on my feet. I looked up in surprise. "Mori senpai!" When did he show up?

"Mitsukuni says to leave Miss. Yukimura alone." He said in that monotone voice of his.

Honey senpai bounced up behind Mori senpai then. "That's right Takashi. Now Hika chan, Kao chan. Leave her alone."

"Guys, stop overwhelming her." Haruhi said and, I kid you not, stepped out of the room wearing a long, french pink dress made of what looked like pure silk. Curves that the uniform had hidden were now very apparent. "If she saw something then she saw something. No sense in lying to her when she's already seen. I trust her and you should too."

My face contorted in shock and confusion. "Haruhi... You're a girl?"

I heard a collective intake of breath as every single host now appeared in my vision. They all looked at me with very cautious eyes. "You didn't know?" Haruhi asked, looking a little afraid.

I shook my head. "N-no. But I won't tell anyone! I swear!" I told them quickly. "It's obvious that this is some secret and I swear to keep it!"

Kyoya, Tamaki, Haruhi, Honey senpai and Mori senpai all seemed to believe me. The twins, however, still needed convincing.

"She can't be trusted! She's just another obsessed guest that will blackmail us into giving her special attention!" The one I thought was Hikaru said. It was difficult to tell them apart. I basically had to listen to the tone of their voices. Hikaru's voice was deeper while Kaoru's had a slightly childish tone to it. In spite of that, Kaoru seemed to be the twin with his head screwed on straight while Hikaru was more reckless and untrusting.

Kaoru looked like he didn't agree with his brother exactly. "I agree that we don't know her enough to trust her. I mean, seriously. Lately, all she does is run to the club room every morning and spend time with us outside of club hours. This is special attention and it's against club rules."

"It's not special attention." Haruhi defended, glaring at the twins. "She's our friend. If you don't like her than that's your problem."

"It's not that we don't like her..." Kaoru tried to explain but his brother wasn't having it.

"Exactly! We don't like her! She can't be trusted! Give me one reason that she's here that has nothing to do with her being an obsessed guest! Proof that she's here for our sakes! Or even just Kyoya's sake since he's the main reason she shows up!"

I blushed scarlet at Hikaru's words. So they all seem to realize that I like him. Looking down, I backed away from the group. It was obvious that I needed to leave the room. Hikaru and Kaoru both wanted me gone and it was probably a matter of time before everyone else wanted me gone too. This secret seemed very big. Considering that you had to be a boy to be a host, I guessed that had something to do with it.

"Well? I haven't heard a reason yet!" Hikaru yelled again and I cringed slightly.

"If you want me gone-" I began but I was taken off guard by Kyoya. He stepped forward and walked to my side.

"She needs to be here."

Hikaru's eyes widened in confusion. Based on the way Kyoya was treated, it was obvious that his opinion was taken very seriously. Hikaru seemed to eye me in a new light. "Why does she need to be here Kyoya?"

"My father would want it." Was his simple answer. I suddenly realized that he was about to tell the hosts of the news. Is that a good idea? Based on how angry Hikaru was, I figured it had to be said.

Kyoya glanced behind him, at the club room's main door. It was shut tight and there shouldn't be any people showing up here until about fifteen minutes before school starts. We had half an hour before the warning bell would sound for class. Kyoya looked back and gave a dark look at each host. I'd never seen him so serious.

"Just allow it. It's my decree. If you have a problem with it than you can take it up with me." Kyoya stated firmly, causing Hikaru to look very intimidated. I wasn't sure how to feel then. He didn't tell them after all. Tamaki suddenly stepped up.

"Your decree? I thought I was the king!" Tamaki whined, his eyes going all watery. "And I agree with Kyoya! Let her stay. She's nice." He said with a big grin in my direction.

I returned the smile as best I could, trying to hide how uncomfortable I still felt over everything. The strongest emotion I felt was pride, strangely. Kyoya was taking a stand for me. "Why would your father want her to be around you?" Hikaru asked, still not convinced.

"Her brother and my father are merging their companies. Because of that, it is my father's wish that we be in the same company. None of this is to leave this room. Understood?"

They all nodded. Hikaru's eyes darted from Kyoya's face to mine. He seemed to try to be piecing something together but it thankfully led nowhere. He smiled sheepishly before running his hand through his slightly messy hair. "Sorry. Guess I was a bit of jerk earlier."

Haruhi walked past everyone. "That's an understatement. Don't worry about everything, okay? We know you won't tell anyone about my secret. Hikaru just enjoys starting fights."

"I really mean it Hikaru. I won't tell anyone." I told him honestly. After a moment, he finally nodded.

"Yeah, I know." His face showing how uncomfortable he felt now.

Kaoru was the one to truly break the tension. "So does that mean that we get to bring her with us on the trip this weekend?" He asked, a grin on his face.

"What trip?" I asked.

"The trip to Okinawa. Remember? This week, they're going to be doing some testing in our homeroom classes." Haruhi explained. "The top ten from each grade get to go on the trip."

I tried to think back and remember what my grades were. I had always been a good student in America and the work at Ouran was easier than what I was used to. I'd been doing really well. I might actually make the top ten. I haven't been studying outside of school though. They've been giving us so much time in class to study that it's really unnecessary.

"I hope you guys all make it too." I told them honestly. I had no doubt that Kyoya would make it. His grades were always exceptional. Tamaki seemed to be a bit of an airhead in class but he might surprise us all.

"We will." Kyoya explained. "The host club gives a large portion of the funds we earn every year to fund school trips. It gives us all automatic places on the list. They only agree to this since there's a mandatory A average qualification to be a host."

"If Avi chan gets to go with us, she can sit with us on the plane, right?" Honey senpai asked as he tugged the hem of my skirt with big eyes. "Kyo chan booked a private room on the plane for the host club."

I looked up at Kyoya who had somehow scooted himself all the way over to a nearby table and was now typing at his laptop. I didn't even notice him move away from my side. "The private room seats ten. I don't see any reason why we couldn't take an extra person. The group leaves Saturday morning. Let me know by Friday at some point so I can inform the airline that we're going to have an extra person in the room."

"Guests alert!" The twins yelled as the sound of giggling filled the hallway outside. Our eyes instantly zeroed in on Haruhi, who was still in a dress.

Honey senpai shooed her into the side room to change and the other hosts compensated for her absence by being extra attentive towards the ladies. Megumi and her friends were in the group of guests that decided to show up early today. Apparently, they were all exciting about the trip and they all wanted to know if every host was invited.

"Remember to come to Friday's club meeting." Kyoya announced. "That's the day we will be giving away prizes to celebrate the first semester."

The way Megumi fawned over Kyoya made my skin crawl. Trying to shove down the anger that was bubbling up, I located my school bag and decided to leave the club room. That seemed to get someone's attention because I heard footsteps behind me the second I hit the stairwell. Turning around, I was surprised to see Megumi.

"Why are you always in the club room when I get there?" She demanded to know.

Instead of risking a scene like that day in the club room, I decided the best course of action would be to walk away. I wasn't able to table a full two steps before she ran after me and grabbed my arm. The pressure she had on it hurt. "Let go."

"Answer me then." She hissed, her eyes dangerous. I wasn't scared of her at all. I was, however, quickly getting to the point where I wanted to hit her.

"Do you have a problem with me spending time with the hosts? You do."

"I show up fifteen minutes before class starts like they tell us to. According to a friend of mine who's been showing up early to study in the library for testing, you show up an hour early every day and you always head directly for the club room. You need to stop hogging Kyoya. You're pissing a lot of people off." A lot of people meaning Megumi herself.

"Kyoya and I are classmates. He helps me with homework and stuff." I told her, trying to get my arm out of her grip. She refused to let go.

"I'm serious." She said with dark eyes. "If I see you near him again, I'll get you kicked out of the school." As she spoke, she pulled me closer and then flung me back, causing me to fall back. For a brief second, I was midair, then suddenly, I was tumbling down the stairs.

As I landed with a thud on the marble floor, I looked up to see Megumi not even facing me. Her back was rod straight and her knees were shaking. My focus was mostly on the pain in my back and my right ankle but it was drug completely from it as Kyoya stepped forward and peered down the stairs at me, his eyes wide with worry.

"Megumi, what have you done?"


	11. Texting And A Nightmare

**HOPE YOU LIKED THE LAST CHAPTER D: I KNOW, I KNOW. MEGUMI IS PURE EVIL. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. BUT AVIANNA IS MINE. :( SO MY LITTLE COUSIN WHO IS ALSO WRITING A STORY NEEDS TO STOP TRYING TO TAKE THE NAME. LOL NAH. SHE'S NOT STEALING IT. XD BUT SHE DID PUT IT IN HER STORY AT FIRST.**

**Chapter 11**

_My focus was mostly on the pain in my back and my right ankle but it was drug completely from it as Kyoya stepped forward and peered down the stairs at me, his eyes wide with worry._

"_Megumi, what have you done?"_

"K-Kyoya!" She stuttered. "She fell! I tried to help her but I couldn't grab her hand in time!"

His eyes didn't leave me for a second. Acting as if Megumi hadn't spoken, he ran down the stairs and knelt down beside me. "Miss. Yukimura! Can you hear me? Avianna?"

"You... called me by my first name." I said, barely hearing his or even my own voice through the ringing in my ears. As if on cue, my head began to hurt as well.

"Do you need me to call an ambulance?" He asked, his voice a little more clear. Considering that my back, my leg and my head were hurting, all a sign that I could have a broken bone or a concussion, I figured I did.

"Yes please." Afraid that the damage could be worse than is apparent, I didn't move my head at all. In order to look me in the eyes, Kyoya had to lean directly over me.

A phone was taken from his pocket right away and he proceeded to call for one. He explained to the operator that I had fallen down the stairs. As he spoke, he put pressure on my head with his fingertips. Seeing me wince, he told the operator that I might have a concussion. He then gave a description of where I could be found in the high school. We weren't at the main stairs so it might be difficult for them to find the very back stairway near the club room. When he had hung up, he proceeded in checking for any apparent damage.

"What hurts?" He asked, eying my head.

"My head and my back and my right ankle."

He reached down and began to prod my leg with his fingers. I didn't scream at the contact so that told me that it must not be broken. "It isn't broken. Might be a fracture... On a scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt?"

He poked it again but it didn't hurt nearly as much as I thought it would. His hands were cold and they felt good on my leg. "Only a five or six."

He nodded. "It might just be a sprain. Maybe not even that. I called an ambulance from an Ootori hospital. In just a few minutes, they'll be here."

"Is Megumi still here?" I asked, my head had tilted to the side so that the stairs were out of my view.

"No. She ran off. Did she push you?" The intensity of his stare told me that I couldn't lie to try and get away from Megumi's wrath. I'd just have to tell the truth and face the consequences.

"Yes." I confessed. He didn't seem surprised.

"This will warrant suspension for her. Any acts of violence means a minimum of five school days out and then she'll be on probation for the next month. That means she won't be able to attend the trip." He told me. I was pleased to hear that.

"Mr. Ootori. Is this her?" Someone said. Two emergency medical technicians suddenly came into view with a folded up stretcher in their hands. They laid it on the ground and began to ask Kyoya questions while feeling my scalp, my back and my leg.

"Can you hear us?" One of them asked.

"Yes. It just hurts is all."

They seemed to believe I was stable since they both crowded around me and began to lift me up and onto the stretcher before lifting it up from the ground and locking the wheels in place.

As they carefully carried it down the stairs, everyone flocked from the music room and began to follow the stretcher. I could only hear the footsteps of most of them but the hosts ran ahead to check on me. Judging by how many footsteps I heard, I guessed that a lot of girls had randomly showed up after I left the room.

"What happened to her?" Tamaki asked, learning over me as the stretcher was quickly wheeled down the hallway.

"She fell down the stairs. I'll explain everything later. I need you all to stay and help keep the guests under control. They'll try to follow if you don't."

Tamaki nodded and ran off. I could hear him trying to distract the guests with the promise of a game if they all returned to the room. The prize being a kiss on the cheek from Tamaki. That got them. When we arrived at the ambulance, Kyoya climbed right in with me.

The whole way there, I kept my eyes on Kyoya, only barely aware of the fact the technicians were trying to hook an I.V. up. Me and I.V.'s did not mix. When the needle penetrated my skin, I jumped. "Her veins keep rolling." One of the technicians said. "We need to have an I.V. in her arm now in case it's needed later."

Kyoya reached forward a placed a hand on my shoulder when I tried to sit up. I hate needles so much... "If you're really still, it'll be over with more quickly." He said softly. He moved his hand form my shoulder and held it out for me to take. Gratefully placing mine in his, I practically crushed his hand when the technicians tried to put a needle in again.

"We got it." One said before taping it on. By the time I was able to pull my arm back, the ambulance arrived at the closest Ootori hospital and wheeled me in. Since Kyoya was the son of the owner, he was allowed to go right back with me into the emergency room even though he wasn't related.

Kyoya waited outside of the room while a nurse carefully helped me put on a hospital gown and then I was directly wheeled into the x-ray room. After a few scans were taken, I was wheeled into the ultrasound room to check my head for a possible concussion.

Thankfully, nothing seemed to be wrong at all. The doctors told me that I had a small bump on the back of my head and that my ankle and back would be sore for the next few days. Their only prescription was Tylenol for any pain.

When the doctor left the room, the nurse allowed me to dress myself in my school uniform. When I was ready, she informed me that 'young Mr. Ootori' had contacted my brother and that he was on his way. Great... Getting up, I slipped on my shoes and went out into the hall.

"Why'd you do that?" I confronted Kyoya, who was currently sitting in a chair near the room. He stood when he saw me.

"Why not?" He asked, confused.

"I'm not talking to him right now..." I whispered, my angry eyes fixated on the tiled floor.

"They won't let you leave the hospital unless your brother signs you out."

Walking up to him, I sighed and leaned my head against his chest. He stiffened up for a moment in surprise before relaxing. "I really don't want to see him. He thinks I'm selfish for not wanting this engagement. Me. The selfish one..."

I felt his arms gently wrap around me. He seemed a little uncomfortable at the contact but he didn't push me away and I was grateful for that. I seriously couldn't face Mark right now if not for Kyoya being here too. When it was just me and Mark, nothing stopped him from telling me how selfish I was and how he'd never speak to me again if I backed down now and whatever thing he could say to make me feel overwhelmed and overemotional.

"Avianna." Mark's voice echoed down the hallway, making me tense up. Kyoya dropped one arm and used his free hand to push me back. Taking a step away from me, he gave Mark a formal bow of the head. Mark looked worried surprisingly. "Kyoya said you fell down the stairs. How did that happen?"

"Well it was just an accident. I-"

"You need to be more careful! If you were seriously hurt, your mother would kill me! Or worse, try to take you back to America. Like that would go over well with Mr. Ootori..."

"I'm fine..." I whispered, my angry eyes on the floor.

"Do you think you can return to school? I've got an important meeting with an investor and I really don't have time to make a stop by the house."

Kyoya stepped forward slightly. "After hitting her head, concussion or no, I think it's best if she go home and rest."

I heard Mark sigh. "I guess you're right. Come on. Let's sign you out."

I reluctantly followed Mark to the check out desk and watched as he quickly put his signature on a paper and reached into his back pocket to pay the bill directly. Kyoya was nice enough to walk me all the way to the town car that was waiting directly out front for Mark and myself. As he took my hand to help me into the car, he handed me my school bag. I thanked him for holding onto it for me and shut the door between us.

"Do you want to miss school tomorrow?" Mark asked after a minute of driving.

"I can't. I have testing tomorrow."

"You can make up tests." He mumbled as he pulled out his phone.

"Not these. These tests determine if I make it into the top ten for my grade. The top ten of each grade get to go on that trip I told you about." Today was only supposed to be a school wide study day. At least I wouldn't miss any tests.

"I'm not sure I want you leaving the city at a time like this."

I was quick at thinking of a reason to get him to allow it. "Kyoya's going. His father wants me to go too. It would give Kyoya and I time to get to know each other."

He glanced up. "I guess that's a good idea. Considering the circumstances. If Mr. Ootori approves than so do I." I glared out the car's window. He's such a suck up. It's not a partnership if Mark basically worships the ground Mr. Ootori walks on.

Mark practically pushed me out of the car when we made it back to the house. Running inside, Mari was waiting there for me. "Mark told me what happened. Are you alright dear?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Would you like anything to eat? I've been making a pot of stew for lunch. You can have some."

"Sure." I smiled but the smile faded when a very loud clap of thunder sounded, followed by heavy rain hitting the house. I guess that storm finally hit. Stew sounded especially good when it was either cold or stormy outside.

Mari sat my stew on a tray along with a spoon and a cup of juice and allowed me to bring it up to my room to eat. My leg was feeling much better thankfully. I didn't even feel any pain anymore. When I was seated on my bed with the tray, I reached into my bag and pulled out the study guide I had made for myself. I was pretty confident on my ability to pass the tests but I felt like some studying was in order.

Halfway through looking over my math notes, I saw something that looked incorrect. Reaching into one of the front pockets of my school bag, I tried to locate my calculator. Instead of grabbing a hold of just my calculator, my fingers touched a piece of paper. Pulling it out too, I read the phone number printed there.

When did this get there? I located my phone and typed the number in and clicked 'write message'.

**To: Unknown Number**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**Who is this?**

While I waited for a response, I corrected the problem in my notebook and put my calculator back up. Not even a minute later, my phone buzzed.

**To: Me**

**From: Unknown Number**

**Message:**

**You found my number. It's Kyoya.**

I blushed bright red as I read the message. He slipped his number into my school bag? I quickly programmed his number in my phone.

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**Oh, hi.**

I sent it and mentally smacked myself. Not one of my most brilliant and thought out messages.

**To: Me**

**From: Kyoya**

**Message:**

**My father has plans to go out tomorrow evening to eat. He wants you and your brother to come.**

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**Will you be there too? :/**

**To: Me**

**From: Kyoya**

**Message:**

**Yes. This is merely a get together for my father.**

**Nothing surprising will happen. Don't worry.**

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**Alright. So, what are you up to?**

**To: Me**

**From: Kyoya**

**Message:**

**In school, studying for tomorrow.**

I smacked myself in the head. No duh. I knew that.

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**I'm studying too. I'll leave you to it. I've gotta**

**go. Ttyl.**

**To: Me**

**From: Kyoya**

**Message:**

**Ttyl?**

I laughed. I guess he wouldn't be exactly up to date on text message slang.

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**It means 'talk to you later'. **

**To: Me**

**From: Kyoya**

**Message: **

**Ttyl Avianna.**

His message made me feel almost as surprised as when he had actually called me by my first name earlier. Blushing, I put my phone aside and tried to focus on studying again. No such luck. My thoughts were just too jumbled. Giving it another five minutes of effort, I got up and decided to take a shower.

As the hot water beat down on my back, I thought about what I was going to do tomorrow if Megumi was still there. Would she already be on suspension by then? I really hoped so. It would be nice not to have to see her until after I returned from the week long trip. If I even got to go... I really hoped so.

Toweling off, I put on some pajamas and put all my effort into studying for tomorrow. 'I will pass these tests with flying colors', I mentally coached myself. 'I can do this'.

By the time I had finished my stew, I had finished the entire math and English section and had just begun History. Taking my tray downstairs, I handed it to Mari and ran upstairs, worried that Mark would show up at any time. I didn't want to have to face him again.

By dinner, I was feeling pretty confident about my ability to retain knowledge. Since I was gonna have to face Mark anyway for dinner, I didn't bother to dress for occasion. I walked downstairs in my pajama set.

Mark was already sitting at the table when I made it to the dining room, a piece of food in between his chopsticks. Sitting down, I gladly accepted my plate and dug right in. I could feel Mark's eyes on me.

"Do you think that wearing pajamas around the house before bedtime is appropriate attire for the future Mrs. Kyoya Ootori to wear?"

I was so taken off guard by his question that I ended up choking on a wad of sticky rice. Mari had been standing nearby. She ran forward and began to swat my back until I calmed down. Giving her an apologetic look, I took a big gulp of water and resumed eating.

"It's just us, isn't it? What's it matter if I wear pajamas around the house?"

He shrugged, looking frustrated. "I guess it doesn't matter. But you need to get home half an hour early tomorrow. We're going out to dinner with Mr. Ootori and Kyoya and I want you to have enough time to get ready this time."

"I know." I said casually.

"You know?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Kyoya told me. We are betrothed. No secrets." I meant this to be full of sarcasm but he took me seriously.

"That's a very good attitude to have." He smiled approvingly. I scowled at my food, wishing I could excuse myself but still wanting to eat. "Are you sure you feel up to going to school tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Completely." I am determined to do my absolute best on these tests.

Thankfully, Mark received a sudden phone call. He rushed from the room, anxious to answer it, leaving me to finish my dinner in peace. Finishing the final bite, I handed Mari my plate and went to one of the back hallways downstairs. It was already eight. I could spend the remaining couple hours before bed watching a movie. There was an entertainment room downstairs that Mark never used.

Picking out one of the few American movies he had, I enjoyed the comedy, my phone sitting beside me on the off chance that Kyoya decided to message. I went to bed that night in a very good mood. Funny movies usually did that. Making sure my school books were back in my bag, I put my uniform on a hook and crawled into the middle of the large bed with the alarm set for six.

That night, I had a nightmare that Megumi had snuck into the house. She backed me to the curved staircase and pushed me down them. When I bolted up in bed at five-thirty in the morning, I knew that there was no way I would be able to fall asleep again. I laid in bed anyway for that remaining half hour, trying to think of anything other than the nightmare.

When I got downstairs, Mr. Kobayashi looked extremely impatient. "I apologize but can we get going soon Miss. Yukimura? Mark needs me to get across town and pick something up for him as soon as possible."

"Mark can get his panties out of a twist." I told him bluntly before going to grab a green apple from the kitchen. I ate it on the way to school, not having the stomach to eat anything more substantial. I got out of the car quickly, not wanting Mr. Kobayashi to get into any trouble with Mark. Getting my bag from the floorboard, I shut the door and ran inside.

When I had made it to the hallway the club room was in, I instinctively glanced around, afraid Megumi would somehow not be suspended and would want another fight. The school was poorly lit this time of day which made me feel very on edge.

I practically ran to the club room. When I was inside it, I shut the door firmly and walked quickly over to a waiting Kyoya. "Are you alright?" He asked, seeing my nervousness.

I nodded. "I'm fine. Is-"

"She was suspended yesterday, shortly after I returned to school for the day. She won't be back until next Monday."

I sighed in relief then. Going to sit beside Kyoya, I grabbed the computer right out of his hands. "What do you usually do on here?"

"Lots of things." Was his only answer. He gently took it from me and sat it to the side like always. "How is your ankle?"

I moved it around a bit. "Good. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

Kyoya reached his hands out to me, his eyes on my ankle. A little surprised, I carefully lifted my leg into his hands, trying not to let my skirt rise up too much. I guess as the son of a medical company owner, he's got to know a little something about this kind of thing. He's probably got a future of working in the company as a doctor at the very least.

He felt around my ankle. He pressed somewhere, causing me to jump. "There's a bruise here." He murmured before letting go of my leg. I moved my leg back down and twisted it around a bit.

"It only hurts if pressure is applied to it so I'll be fine." I told him.

"Just be careful. It's not impossible to sprain it even now. There's already some bruising from the fall."

" Okay." I looked down at my leg, my skin feeling hot where his hands had been. I felt my face heating up and I tried desperately to stop it.

"Avianna." He said. I looked at him, still startled, each time he called me by my first name. He was leaning down now so that were at eye level. Gasping I began to lean back but he reached forward and placed a hand on the back of my head, stopping me. Narrowing his eyes, he leaned forward and brushed his lips very lightly against mine.

I didn't breathe. I couldn't. When he pulled a way after a few seconds, I stared at him with heavy lidded eyes. "What... was that for?"

Instead of answering, he leaned forward again and captured my lips in a firm kiss. Overwhelmed but willing, my eyes fluttered closed.


	12. Crying It All Out

**!I'M SO SORRY IT TOOK THIS LONG TO UPDATE. :( I CAUGHT A BUG FROM ACCIDENTLY SWALLOWING CREEK WATER SO IV'E BEEN FEELING AWFUL FOR DAYS. ESPECIALLY YESTERDAY. BUT I'M FEELING SORTA BETTER NOW. :) I'LL DO MY BEST TO GET AT LEAST TWO CHAPTERS IN BY SUNDAY OR MONDAY.**

**THIS IS AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER TO MAKE UP FOR MY SICKNESS. :) I THINK IT'S AROUND NINE THOUSAND WORDS!**

**DISCLAIMER: YADA YADA. YOU GET THE PICTURE. :P**

**Chapter 12**

_Instead of answering, he leaned forward again and captured my lips in a firm kiss. Overwhelmed but willing, my eyes fluttered closed._

As Kyoya continued to kiss me, I began to feel lightheaded. Leaning up, I wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt the arm that wasn't on the back of my head, pressing our faces together, snake around my waist. After an undetermined amount of time, he leaned away, his eyes looking even darker.

My face flushed, I tried to catch my breath. Unwillingly, I untangled my arms from around his neck and leaned back. As soon as I was able to tear my eyes away from his face, I couldn't seem to look back at him. He had pulled away the hand that had been resting on the back of my head but the arm around my waist remained.

When I was in control of my breathing, I carefully looked up at him. "Why did you do that?"

Kyoya opened his mouth to speak but closed it a second later. He glanced from my eyes to my lips quickly before returning his gaze back to eye level. "I...apologize." He said with a stiff voice. He pulled his arm away, a very faint blush on his neck. "That was uncalled for."

"It's okay. I didn't mind. We're... engaged, right? So it's acceptable?" I mumbled.

"I've known you only a short time. I shouldn't take those sort of liberties with you."

I raised an eyebrow. It's not like he tried to molest me or anything. It was just a kiss. A really incredible kiss. Trying my best not to lose my voice in my nervousness, I asked once again. "Why exactly did you kiss me?"

His expression seemed awkward and unsure. "Would you be angry if I told you that I honestly don't know?"

I tried not to sigh. It was frustrating having him kiss me with no answer as to why he did but if he was unsure, I had to accept that answer. "No. I'm not angry. Like I said. It's acceptable."

"It's not completely unheard of... But it doesn't happen often." Kyoya muttered, his eyes focused on a bird that was fluttering around outside, trying to find a place to land.

"What doesn't happen often?" I asked.

He glanced at me for a second, an understated smirk on his handsome face. "Feeling an attraction towards your intended. It really never happens for people in my situation."

My face heated up, realizing that I wasn't imagining any of it. He really did have feelings for me. The way he looked at me, he seemed to know exactly what I was thinking. What did this mean? Was he my boyfriend now? No. More than that. Because of Mark's stupid merger with Mr. Ootori, I was Kyoya's fiance. In about two years, I would be his wife.

As I tried to fight off the unpleasant feelings I harbored towards Mark, Kyoya's father and the situation they forced us into, Kyoya's expression turned to one of confusion. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Realizing that I must look terrified right now, I shook my head and forced a smile on my face. "You didn't. Really. I'm just... a little overwhelmed about everything."

Before either of us could say another word, we heard heavy footsteps heading for the music room. Not even three seconds later, Tamaki bounded in. That ended our conversation for the time being. I tried not to get too upset about it. We had tomorrow morning or even text messaging to further discuss everything.

Once Haruhi arrived for the morning, she sat down with me and explained how she had to pretend she was a boy. Apparently, she broke an expensive vase and, in order to pay off her debt, she had to be a host. She had paid off her debt last year but she loved being with the host club so much that she decided to stay.

After telling me of a few of the wacky adventures she had been on with the other hosts, she had me laughing myself out of my seat. It sounded really fun to be in her shoes but she assured me that the job didn't come without stress. Mostly at Tamaki's doing. Eying the overly hyper boy, I knew exactly what she meant. It sort of grated on one's nerves to be around him for too long.

When all of the hosts had arrived, Kyoya and I sat down and explained exactly how the entire 'fell down the stairs' incident went down. They all had horrified expressions on their faces. "She just pushed you? Just like that? No reasoning?" Haruhi asked, always the type to want the exact reasoning behind someone's actions.

After a moment of deliberating, I decided to just tell them the truth. "Well, Megumi is one of Kyoya's guests. She's more or less obsessed and her reasoning is that she found out about how I've been spending time with you guys in the mornings and she thought I was doing it to piss people off. So she said if I didn't leave Kyoya alone, she'd get me kicked out of the school. Then she pushed me..."

I winced then, remembering the pain I felt as my back hit the stairs. I fell in such a way that I didn't get any serious injuries. I'm glad I didn't break any bones. I've never broken one before and I really didn't want to start now. That would for sure get mom's attention. She's sneak me onto a plane in a giant suitcase if she had to.

Megumi's words were now ringing in my ears. Would she really get me kicked out of Ouran? I really hoped not. I loved it here. I do now... Other than a few comments on how awful Megumi was and a declaration from Tamaki saying that she was not allowed to be a guest any longer in the Host Club, the subject was more or less dropped.

I had decided to wear the golden pendant to school today and, once Tamaki saw it, he went on and on about how Kyoya didn't know a thing about picking out presents and that Tamaki went to help him select it out of the goodness of his heart. I had to roll my eyes at the way Tamaki swung his arms all over the place, making dramatic poses for no reason at all. Does he always talk like that?

"You'll get used to the boss's antics after a while." Hikaru said before throwing an arm around my shoulder. He put his weight into it so I had to try and support it.

"So tell us. What's going on with you and mommy?" Kaoru asked. He was nice enough to just stand beside me and not try and make me carry his weight too.

"Mommy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in Kyoya's direction. I remembered Tamaki calling him mommy at the plaza when I went shopping last Sunday. Shaking Hikaru's arm off me, I waited for someone to explain.

"Well, now that you know Haruhi's secret and all..." Kaoru began.

"...I guess you can be let in on the joke." Hikaru finished for him.

Tamaki took it upon himself to run over and explain it for me. "Well you see, I am Haruhi father. It is my job as king of this club to look after her."

"And since Kyoya is Tamaki's right hand man..." Hikaru jumped in.

"...That makes him mommy. So says the 'king'." Kaoru finished, looking as if this made perfect sense. I had to fight the look I had on my face. Only one word could describe Tamaki's reasoning 'He's an idiot'.

_Warning Bell Rings_

"Well, today's been fun." I mumbled as I hurriedly grabbed my school bag. I gave Kyoya, who was packing up his computer, a shy smile before heading for the door. I was surprised when he returned it. "But I must be going. See you all at the meeting."

When I had almost made it to my class, I was cornered by Mina and Rinae. "Are you okay?" Rinae asked in a panic.

"We heard you fell down the stairs!" Mina said, her eyes scanning me for injury. When she didn't find anything apparently wrong, she seemed to relax.

"I'm fine guys. Promise. Just a little accident. Not even a scratch." Which was sort of true. I didn't have any scratches. But part of my upper arm that was barely covered by my sleeve had Megumi's fingerprints bruised on from where she grabbed my arm. There was also the bruising on my leg and the bump on the back of my head. I haven't checked my back yet but I had a feeling that there might be some sort of mark there too. It still kind of hurt if I twisted my hips from side to side.

"Okay then." Mina said with a frown. "But don't hesitate to call us if you have any problems. We'll run right over and escort you to the nurse."

Rinae grinned. "Ooorrr. She can have Kyoya escort her." She finished it off with a wink. I blushed.

The girls waved as they walked off to their own class. Before I could turn and walk into class, I noticed Kyoya coming this way. He was looking directly at me with intense eyes so I thought it wise to stop and wait for him. When he was about a foot from me, he stopped and leaned down.

"Don't ever be afraid of Megumi's threats. When you entered into this arrangement, you walked under the protection of my father. Don't forget that the power of the Ootori family now extents to you."

He waited a second longer, his eyes searching my face. He seemed to find what he was looking for because he straightened up and walked right into class. When I had my blush under control, I followed him in.

Handing the teacher a note that explained my absence (Mari had been kind enough to forge Mark's signature so I didn't have to talk to him), I went to take my seat to the right of Kyoya. I could feel someone's eyes on me as soon as I entered the room. Looking around, I saw that Hiro was staring at me. "Yes?" I asked, figuring it was okay to still talk since there was a couple minutes before the bell would ring that started class.

He shook his head. "Nothing. How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?" Ever since the Masami plaza thing, I felt sort of uncomfortable being around Hiro. He made it clear that day that he wanted to be more than friends by his stares, the way he talked and how he wouldn't leave me alone the entire day. I guess it would take till after the gala next month to show him I'd never return the feelings. By then, the entire school would know about the engagement. Including Megumi...

He shrugged. "Been good. Got ten new games for my Play Station 4."

"There isn't a Play Station 4." I said absently, my focus on the board. It read 'TESTING DAY 1' in big letters.

"Not for the general public, no. But mine was special ordered. My father owns a chain of electronic stores."

I glanced at him briefly. "Cool. What's the difference between a PS3 and a PS4?" I figured asking him a question about something he was interested in would get him talking long enough that I wouldn't have to really respond before the bell rang.

"Besides playing all prior games for all the other Play Stations, it also plays DVDs, Blue-Ray movies and it also can connect to the internet and access any site. It also has a web cam hook-up so I can chat with people or use it for virtual games. Sort of like a WII. But the part that seriously sets it apart from the rest is the game it has already installed."

The bell would ring very soon. I really was bored with the topic but I was rude for ditching Hiro at the plaza and this was a sort of peace offering. "What game is already installed?"

"It's a virtual simulator. You can custom build a virtual person and they can respond to any question you ask. It's pretty limited but it knows how to answer any question you might have about how the system works and it knows quite a few questions about all past and present Play Station games. It makes it to where I never have to hunt down a manual or go online for help."

That part really did sound cool. I actually looked at him completely as he explained it. "Oh, wow."

The bell rang then. Looking to the front, I could see Kyoya glancing at me out of the corner of my eye. He looked over in my direction very quickly, his eyes looking a little... frustrated possibly? I didn't try to look his way again since the teacher had begun to talk.

"Alright class! Today is day one of testing. I hope you all took advantage of the school wide study day yesterday. Wednesday and Thursday will also be testing as well. Friday, we will announce all who made the top ten in each grade. Although these tests do not determine entirely who will make this list, they are worth a lot of points and will help if you are still needing a grade boost. The top ten of every grade will be going on the big class trip on Saturday. Remember, cheating is never allowed and those who are caught in this act will automatically fail the section of the test they are caught cheating on."

The teacher picked up a large basket then. "I will now pass out the test booklets. Do not start until the timer is set. Each section of the booklet is timed so only do the current section. When you see the word 'stop' at the end of the section, close the booklet and wait. Reading is an acceptable waiting activity. Listening to music on MP3 players or using your phones for any reason is not. If I see any phone, it will be constituted as cheating. You may not use any dictionary. Calculators are allowed on the Math section."

The teacher passed out a burgundy colored booklet about as thick as a Sunday newspaper to each of us along with little packs that included two pencils each. Our names, along with our year, our homeroom class and a five digit student I.D. number, were already printed on the front of them.

When the timer was set, I opened the booklet directly. The first section was Math. Good. I was actually good at this subject. Unfortunately, there was quite a few problems. And the timer was set for a little over an hour from now. When I had finished the final problem, I closed the book, happy with my work. I had remembered to bring the book I bought at the Masami Plaza so I pulled it out from under my desk and lost myself in the secret world of Stephanie Moreau. **(A/N: If anyone is wondering, the book she is reading is actually a book I am writing on the side. It's called 'The Fifth Wife'. It's a pretty taboo book but I like the story line I thought up for it.)**

When I had just gotten to the part where Stephanie turned eighteen, the timer began to buzz, signaling the end of the test. I put my book up and waited for the next one to begin. I couldn't pretend I didn't notice it. Kyoya was staring this way. But not at me. At the book. He probably realizes that it's the one he read the back cover of in that bookstore.

"Alright. Close your booklets. If you need to sharpen your pencils, do so now. In just a minute, we'll begin the Literature section. Remember, no dictionaries allowed. Put your calculators up and wait for the timer. This section is the longest so you will get ninety minutes to complete it. After the timer goes off for this section, put all your stuff away. We'll be taking a lunch break then."

When the timer began, I reluctantly opened the book and read the first question. It was the kind of section where you had to read a really long story and then answer questions over it. It took nearly twenty minutes to finish the first story and I worried that I might run out of time.

Halfway through the section, I thought I heard someone whisper my name. Thinking it was the teacher, I looked up at her. Her eyes were on the book she was reading. I heard it again and I brought my head down before looking in Hiro's direction. He was glancing at me worriedly. He was mouthing the number twenty-two. Question twenty-two was about the second story. It had asked if using the line 'The beginning of it all was the loudest' to describe the beginning of a fight. I had selected to replace the line with answer 'C'.

Looking down, I refused to even glance at him again. He was wanting me to cheat. Was he insane? My focus was on my own test so much, you'd figure I was trying to burn a hole in it with my eyes. Refocusing my eyes on it, I picked up where I left off and tried to speed up the pace. I still had twenty more questions to go and there was only half an hour left. Unfortunately, Hiro constantly whispered my name through the test. If he wasn't a good friend of Mina and Rinae's, I would've turned him in for it.

I could have practically cried with joy when the buzzer went off. As soon as the bell rang for lunch, I handed the booklet to my teacher and proceeded to pack up my things. "That was really uncool." I heard Hiro say, his tone flat.

"I wasn't going to help you cheat." I said, my hard eyes remaining on the book I was putting in my bag.

"I really want to be able to pass these tests. I really want to go on this trip with you." He said glumly. "I know you're going to make it for sure. I don't think you've gotten any lower than a ninety-nine percent on anything in here."

I pressed the urge to tell him that I didn't want to be around him anymore if he was going to be angry with me for not helping him cheat. Before I could respond, the teacher called for Hiro. "Hiro, will you come to my desk for a moment?" Uh oh... The teacher must have either seen him try to cheat or heard him after the bell rang.

Looking over to her desk, I watch a rather frightened Hiro walk towards her. She looked in my direction and I began to worry that she thought I was cheating too. I gave her a very polite smile and hoped she read the sincerity in it. Walking swiftly from the classroom, I nearly barreled into Kyoya. I skidded to a stop and looked up at him in surprise.

"Go to lunch with me?" He asked.

I blushed. "Uh...sure." As he turned around and started walking towards the main stairs, I had to jog a little to catch up. I thought about what Mina and Rinae might say about me not sitting with them today but they both were so determined to get me to spend time with Kyoya that they probably would be thrilled about it.

When we entered the cafeteria, Mina and Rinae were already sitting at our usual table with their lunch trays. They watched me with wide eyes as I gathered and paid for my selected lunch and went to sit at the host club's table. None of the hosts seemed surprised. They were all happy to scoot down and leave room for me to sit next to Haruhi and across from Kyoya.

Lunch with the hosts was entertaining to say the least. Almost right away, the twins got into some sort of argument over something stupid but the slight smiles tugging on their lips told me they were doing it for fun. They both had really good comebacks and they ended up dragging Tamaki and Haruhi into it. I think it had something to do with their favorite characters in an Anime.

After finishing my food, I stood up and took it to the tray drop off. I was a little startled with someone touched my shoulder. Looking behind me, I saw Kyoya with his tray. He handed the tray to the waiting lady there and motioned for me to follow with his head. He was already holding my bag. He handed to me and we both left the cafeteria.

When we had safely made it to the back door that led to the rose garden, he spoke up. "I prefer to spend the last half of my lunch hour out here. It's quiet."

As we walked through the entrance of the maze in silence, I wondered if he would be upset if I took his hand. Deciding to test my luck, I reached forward and clasped it lightly. He stopped walking as soon as I did this. Looking over at me curiously, he looked down at our hands. I figured he'd drop my hand but, instead, he linked our fingers together and started to walk again, his eyes now back on our path.

Why is he always so calm about everything? It makes it really difficult to tell what he was thinking. As we rounded the corners of the constantly winding maze, Kyoya matched his stride with mine, making it easy to keep up. I didn't want to disturb him since he seemed to enjoy the quiet but I really did want to ask him what he meant by kissing me earlier.

"Kyoya, I-" I started but I cut off when I noticed that he seemed to be very tense.

"Yes?" He whispered, not even glancing at me.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone's following us."

"It is a school full of students. I'm sure we're not the only ones who thought a walk through the garden would be nice." I tried to reason but he still seemed on edge.

"I hear their steps but they aren't talking or anything."

I pulled my hand back a bit, tugging on his arm. "Relax." I whispered. I did hear the steps but I wasn't panicked the way he was. I thought I saw a flash of black when I looked behind me but it was gone again in the blink of an eye.

Kyoya didn't wait around to find out who it was. Taking a sharp right turn, he started going in various directions with more purpose. Not even five minutes later, we had made it out of the maze's exit. He was quick to get us back inside the school. He didn't even take us back to the cafeteria. Instead, he let go of my hand and grabbed my arm before dragging me upstairs.

"What about everyone else?" I asked, trying to free my arm.

"Lunch is over. We've got less than a minute to get back to class."

I knew what that meant. If we were late for class at the same time, everyone would get suspicious and it would only be a matter of time before their snooping around led to answers. When we made it to the classroom, Kyoya allowed me to go in first. About fifteen seconds after I made it to my seat, Kyoya walked in too. He seemed to be a lot more relaxed now.

For the remainder of testing that day and even during the club, Kyoya was kept so busy that I couldn't talk to him at all. I didn't particularly want to listen but I knew Mark would be furious if I didn't leave the club meeting early like he said to. Getting an earlier spot in a group of random girls I've never sat with, I began to realize how stupid it was to actually be a guest of the host club. All these girls did was fawn over him and try to give him gifts.

A particular favorite gift that all these girls seemed to love attempting was cooking. Considering that these girls were all filthy rich and most of them probably hadn't even seen a stove until they got the notion to make something for a host, I considered it risky to try it. Kyoya may have been cold and falsely kind to his guests but he was no chicken. He pulled a cookie out of each of the girls bags and tried them, complimenting each on their exceptional cooking skills before going back to explaining something or other about the budget. I didn't miss the way he casually disposed of the cookies in his mouth into the napkin near him.

When I got up to leave for the day, Kyoya stopped talking completely, his eyes going from the girl he was explaining something or other to to me. He seemed tense all of a sudden. "I apologize but Miss. Yukimura is in my class. I borrowed a study guide from her and I really should go to my locker and return it to her. I'll be back momentarily."

These girls had never met me before at all but each seemed perfectly content to give me downright vicious glares as Kyoya stood up and left the club room with me. I had never lent him a study guide but he must have some reason in telling them so. When we had arrived at the main staircase, he explained.

"I have a bad feeling about whatever was following us in the maze. I'm going to escort you to your car."

"Kyoya, I honestly think you're just being paranoid." I sighed. "For all you know, it could have been a cat."

"Pets are not allowed on Ouran grounds. There is no way an animal could have made its way in without being seen. I don't mean to alarm you but there are people out there that really mean harm to people from my family."

He seemed so serious as he said this that my eyes widened in alarm. "I didn't plan on getting a ride today though... I told Mr. Kobayashi to not pick me up. I was gonna walk... I'd call Mr. Kobayashi but I think he's been promised the afternoon off..." I really didn't want to disturb Mr. Kobayashi when he could be resting...

He looked frustrated then. "Will your brother allow you to wait until the club meeting is over to return home?"

"He specifically told me to leave half an hour early." I told him.

He sighed. "Wait here. I'll be back soon."

Without waiting for a response, he walked quickly around the corner. As soon as I was alone, I became very aware of that fact. My eyes scanned the halls and looked out all of the windows. Was he serious? Was I going to be kidnapped or something for being the fiance of Kyoya?

I was half convinced to run around the corner and find him when he returned. He had collected his book bag from the club room and he seemed like he was planning on taking me home himself. "You called for a ride so you can take me home?"

He shook his head. "No. I'm going to walk you home. I can't manage a ride before five."

"Really Kyoya. I'll be fine." I tried to tell him, not wanting him to go to all that trouble.

"Let's get going." He said, ignoring me. "It will take ten minutes or so to get there."

When I didn't start walking fast enough for his taste, he grabbed my hand and practically drug me down the stairs. Once we got to the Ouran gates, he slowed down considerably. It probably had something to do with me yelling at him to slow down. Why did he have to be in such a rush all the time.

Kyoya seemed to be putting forth an effort to look relaxed on the walk to Mark's house. That didn't stop his eyes from looking all over the place. Once at the house, he went so far as to walk me directly inside. Mark had been waiting near the parlor at the time and didn't miss the chance to hang up with whoever he was talking on the phone with and try to strike up a conversation.

"Kyoya. How are you?" Mark asked, his smile pleasant.

"Just fine sir. I walked your sister home. I hope that's alright with you." I didn't miss the completely fake smile Kyoya was using. The smile reserved for people he didn't care at all about. Also the smile reserved for people he seemed to hate. Mark didn't seem to notice at all.

"Don't mind at all. Let's have Mari bring us some tea. Maybe you could stick around until Avianna and I plan on leaving for the restaurant. You could ride with us."

Kyoya held up his hands in protest. "Thank you but I have things to see to at the house before dinner. My ride will be arriving at the Academy soon so I really should get back." He turned to me. "I'll see you in a couple hours."

After he left, Mark seemed to be in a much better move. "I knew this arrangement was a good idea. See how you two are getting so close?"

I glared at him. There went my good mood. I'd rather Mark not be all happy with himself. I would've continued to feel the same way I've been feeling about Kyoya, engagement or not. "I guess..."

He took notice of my uniform. "Put on a nice dress like you wore to Mr. Ootori's, okay? This dinner may seem casual but it's really just an excuse to discuss some of the fine print of our negotiations. I want you to look presentable."

If this dinner were to see anyone else, I'd wear a pair of sweats just to tick Mark off. But knowing Kyoya would be there changes things. Pretending as if I didn't hear a word he just said, I walked upstairs and shut myself in my room. There was still about an hour and a half before we would be leaving since it would take about half an hour to drive downtown. That will leave me enough time to take a shower as well as get ready.

When I had just wrapped a towel around me after a twenty-minute shower when my phone began to lightly ring. Wrapping my hair up in a cotton wrap to keep it out of my way, I went to answer it. When I read the caller I.D., the blood rushed from my face. Mom...

Clicking 'call', I brought the phone to my ear. "H-Hello?"

"Avianna! I've been trying to get a hold of you all day!" Mom said angrily.

"I'm sorry. I didn't get any calls. It's probably the reception. It makes it difficult to make calls to other countries."

"Spend all that extra money on international calling and this is what we get..." She mumbled.

I laughed. "Technology isn't perfect, mom."

She sighed a more relaxed sigh. "Yeah, I know. I just really miss you... Having you gone for half a school year is hard for me. Your grandma and I are always going flee marketing to have something to do but it seriously is weird with it just being the two of us. Did I tell you? Some boy from your class last year showed up when you didn't return to school and asked me to give you a letter. I kept forgetting about it. I left it in my purse."

"Which boy?" I asked, trying to remember if I ever had any boys in my acquaintances. I didn't think I did.

"A Conner something. Medium height, kind of scrawny. Red hair."

"Oh! Conner Smith you mean. He was my lab partner all last year. We never talked outside of class. Did you read the note?"

She sounded sheepish. "Yeah. Sorry."

"Mom..." I was upset that she invaded my privacy. "What did it say?"

I heard the faint crumpling of a paper.

_Dear Avianna,_

_I know we were just lab partners and we didn't really get to know each other outside of class but I really wish we could be good friends. Truthfully, I have a crush on-_

"I'd rather not hear the rest." I interrupted her. "I honestly don't return the feelings."

"I'm sure he doesn't mind too much. Your grandmother and I ran into him at McDonald's the other day and he seemed real happy with the girl he was with. But in other news, I was offered a promotion! Just yesterday night. Can you believe it? That means another thousand dollars a month. We could pay off the car in just two months and our credit will go up enough for us to buy a new house. Doesn't that sound nice?"

I grimaced, glad she couldn't see my face. I tried to put some enthusiasm into my voice. "Sounds really great mom."

"How is school at that fancy private academy going?"

"Going really good. I'm in the middle of testing. The top ten in every grade are able to go on a trip to Okinawa for a week. I've been doing so well in school, I just might get to go."

"Okinawa? Isn't that a plane ride away from Tokyo?"

"Yes but it would be completely safe. There would only be forty students going and there would be about five or more teachers or chaperones. It wouldn't be like the entire school trying to go or anything."

She sighed. "I don't know honey... I'm guessing Mark is too busy with work to chaperone."

"Correct." If mom called Mark and demanded I not go, he'd probably ignore her since he was under the impression that Kyoya's dad really wanted me there. Although after dinner tonight, if Mark brought it up, I might be caught in a lie... If I was caught lying, Mark would for sure ban me from the trip.

"I'm going to call Mark and talk to him about it."

"Okay mom. I gotta go anyway. I'm going out to eat with Mark tonight and I need to get ready."

"I love you sweetie. Be safe and don't forget to carry around that pepper spray I packed for you."

"You packed pepper spray?"

"It's in the side zipper of your big suitcase. The phone's starting to cut in and out. Love you! Bye!" A second later, the line went dead.

Putting the phone down, I went right to work on blow drying my hair and fixing it in a braided bun. Once my makeup was done and my teeth were brushed, I went to go get dressed. I hadn't really put aside any dress to wear so I had to dig around in the closet for one of the dresses Mari had told me Mark put back for special occasions.

I ended up finding a dark blue, knee length cocktail dress that seemed fitting for the occasion. Most of the torso was crocheted while the skirt part was made of a softer, fluffy material. This restaurant was supposed to be upscale, right? **(A/N: Pic link of dress on profile.) **When I was dressed in it, along with some matching flats, I grabbed my black purse and pulled the strap around my neck and let it drape to the side.

Mark was on the phone when I walked down the stairs. Judging by the conversation, I guessed my mom wasted no time in calling him. "The trip will be completely safe. I would never allow her to go on it if I didn't think so. She'll be on the trip with friends...Yes, she's been making lots of friends."

"Hey." I whispered as I walked towards him. He held up a finger. He was upset.

"There's always the chance she won't make the top ten in her grade and then it won't matter, will it? So... No. I'd never let her go to Okinawa with a group of friends. This really is a school trip...I know it sounds expensive but this is Ouran Academy. Everything they do is expensive. I had to pay two million yen for her to just attend one semester there. They usually charge five million yen for a full year but they gave a discount since she'd only be going half the year."

I nearly had a heart attack. I quickly added it up. Isn't that around twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars? For one semester?

"I'd love to stay and talk with you for the next hour but I've got a business meeting soon and I've gotta get going...Yes, Avianna is going with me...Because the man is bringing his son and I figured the two could chat while the grown ups do the boring paperwork...I really gotta go. Bye...Yes, Goodbye." He pressed the end call button and gave me a sour look. "Thank you Avianna for telling your mom about the trip. You almost started a fight over it."

"I can't just lie to her Mark." I told him with a glare. "She needs to know if I'm planning on leaving the main island, doesn't she?"

He began to run a hand through his hair but then seemed to think better of it and looked in a nearby mirror to slick it back into place. "I guess you're right. Now let's get going. If it's not you making us late, it's your mom..."

For that, I wasn't speaking to him for the rest of the night. Turning on my heal, I marched out the front door and got in the waiting limo. The ride to the restaurant was actually quite fun. In the sense of the scenery. The closer we got to the restaurant, the more the area looked like upscale New York. The kind of places you see in movies only better. Everything about this part of Tokyo was modern and full of life.

"We're here." Mark said as Mr. Kobayashi pulled the limo to the front of a really expensive looking place. A moment later, he had rounded the limo and was opening the door for me. Getting out, I waited on the curb for Mark, surprised by the huge line for the restaurant. It wrapped around the block even and was closed off with a long velvet rope.

Instead of going to the back of the line, Mark walked right through the front door with me in tow. A woman in a formal black kimono was there to greet us. "Konbanwa. Can I help you?"

"We're here with the 'Ootori' party."

The elegant woman nodded and began checking the velvet covered book in her hands. After scrolling down the list for a second, she looked up and smiled. "Right this way. Your party is waiting in the Burossamu room."

As the woman led us through a hallway with black oriental glass walls, Mark pulled out his phone and turned his phone completely off. Figuring that mom might try and call, I did the same before returning it to my purse. At the end of the hallway, the woman turned and opened the last door to the right for us. I figured that we might have to sit at one of those Japanese floor tables but thankfully, the table inside was a black lacquered western style table.

Stepping inside the room, my eyes first zeroed in on Kyoya, who was dressed in black slacks and a button up white shirt with a nicely done up tie. He and his father got up from their chairs when we entered the room and bowed. Bowing back, I stepped towards the seat next to Kyoya but he intercepted me by casually placing an arm around my waist. He escorted me from the room and we both followed the woman in the black kimono back through the hallway. She stopped at the room right next door and opened it for us.

"This is the Gāden room." She said before stepping aside. "Someone will be by shortly to take your orders."

When we had been shut inside, I looked at Kyoya with confusion. "My father and your brother wish to discuss everything in private. We are to dine in here until they are finished."

"Okay?" I mumbled as Kyoya walked over to the table and pulled out a chair for me. Taking a seat in it, I picked up a menu while Kyoya took his seat across from me. All the food on this menu was incredibly high priced and it I only knew a few of the dishes. Putting my menu aside, I looking up at Kyoya. Now that we had some actual time to ourselves, I figured now would be a good time to dig up all those questions I've been wanting to ask. "Kyoya?"

He looked up, his dark eyes looking ashy with the strange lighting in the room. "Yes?"

"I have some questions. Um... first off...Why exactly... What does it mean... You kissed me and..." I mentally slapped myself, trying to find words that made sense. "Was it just a spur of the moment thing or did you have intentions behind it?"

He almost seemed amused at my mumbled questions. Scratch that. He was amused. The smirk that was forming was a dead giveaway. Instead of responding right away, he reached across the table and gently grabbed my chin between his thumb and index finger. Bringing my face forward, he lightly brushed his lips against mine. A chill went down my spine and then traveled right back up again.

When he pulled away, he was staring at me with those really appealing half lidded eyes. He kept my chin in between his fingers, not allowing me to look down when the blood rose to my face. "Both." He said simply.

I blinked, trying to make sense of my suddenly scattered thoughts. "Both?"

"It was spur of the moment. But I didn't do it without a reason." I guess he really wouldn't just kiss me for no reason. Doing something for the fun of it didn't seem to be in Kyoya's character. He seemed like he was about to say something else but decided against it. "Now you said you had questions. What else do you want to ask me?"

I tried to remember them but most slipped from my mind. Only one really stuck out. I had been thinking of it before testing this morning while talking to Hiro. "While at the Masami Plaza...you were glaring at Hiro and he didn't look to happy to see you either. What's going on between you two?"

His relaxed eyes hardened a little at my question. "Ask a different question."

I tried to shake my head but it wasn't easy with him still having a grip on my chin. "Tell me."

He gave my face a calculating stare. "So persistent... Should I start from the beginning?" I did my best to nod. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he began.

"During my freshman year, Hiro Bicho's father was in the process of a contract with my father. One that would give my father's company a good deal when buying things like security cameras and other odds and ends that are essential for his hospitals. While in the process of making this agreement, it was my responsibility to look after Hiro. He was... reckless then. Not as much now. He doesn't enjoy being told what to do and he'll do dangerous things to get a rise out of people.

A few days before the contract was to be signed, Hiro decided that he would go swimming at a lake near the school. It was December twenty-eighth. His reasoning had been that his friends had done it and he didn't want anyone to think he was a coward... I had followed him there when he ditched class with his friends. The lake had begun freeze over but it was thin enough that Hiro and his friends were able to break some of the ice apart with sticks.

I watched from a distance, hoping he'd end up leaving soon. If he were to get hurt, my father would blame me. I would've too. He was almost my age but he was so childish that I knew he needed someone around to tell him when enough was enough. Hiro was the first to jump in. He propelled his body under the water until he was about twenty feet from the shore. When he tried to swim to the surface, the ice above him wouldn't budge. It took me a minute of watching to realize he was drowning.

I ended up running across the ice and I had to beat my fists against it to get it to break. By the time I pulled him out, he was near death. His friends helped me drag him to the shore where an ambulance was called immediately. I got in the ambulance with him and called my father on the way who then proceeded to call his father.

Before anyone could arrive at the hospital to see Hiro, who had contracted Pneumonia, Hiro woke up and told me he would have been fine if I hadn't of dragged him out. He must have hit his head so hard on the ice that he couldn't remember all that happened. The doctors had a hard time getting all the details from him. He was so angry with me for intervening and even more so for letting the news reach his father that he hates me for it now. Hiro's father also was angry with me for not keeping his son safe and canceled the contract with my father. Hiro swears that he can't remember drowning at all. Though the kid was unconscious when I pulled him from the ice..."

When Kyoya finished his story, he brought my face just a little closer. His eyes looked around, searching for something. After a few seconds, he seemed to find it. "I won't fail this time. I'm to keep you safe. You won't come close to death...Nowhere near it..."

I felt a heavy feeling in my chest. "So... this is all your attempt to make up for Hiro almost dying... Not that that was your fault... He was stupid and reckless..."

His eyes widened slightly. "I didn't mean it like-"

The door slid open then and Kyoya let go of my face before leaning back. A woman in a pink kimono walked in. "Konbanwa. I'm Airi. I'll be your server tonight."

Leaning back as well, I sighed, resigned to the fact that Kyoya is only showing all this special attention towards me to make up for what he thinks was his fault with Hiro... When Airi left with our drink and food orders, Kyoya shot right back into what he was trying to say earlier.

"I didn't mean it that way Avianna." He said in a soft tone but the way he said it seethed with frustration. "I've buried my ties and anger towards Hiro. It doesn't help that he's in my homeroom class every year but I'm able to ignore him and he does the same."

"Then why are you suddenly showing all this special attention towards me? Because it's what you think your father would want?" I asked him, completely confused.

"If that were the case, I would've been this close to the girl I was engaged to last year." Our voices were slowly raising. I doubted that Mark or Mr. Ootori could hear us over the music and the loud laughing coming from a drunk sounding Mr. Ootori but I could hear giggling coming from outside the door. One giggle sounded like it was coming from Airi.

"So it's because of this 'attraction'? I've had guys say they've felt 'attracted' to me before! I know exactly how that ends up working out! It ends with me needing to get far away from them because all they're looking for is some fun! I'm no whore that you can manipulate into-"

He shot up from his seat. "If I wanted a common whore, I'd buy one! What I want from you is a future! If this is what we're forced into, I'm going to find the good in it! Like it or not Avianna, you are my finance and that's not about to change!"

A very long silence stretched on after Kyoya finished speaking. My words fading in my mind, I looked away, not wanting to cry in front of him but losing that fight too. To my horror, the room next door had gone deathly quiet. I heard a barely audible yet sharp intake of breath from Kyoya and his chair scoot back. Covering my face with my hands, I stiffened with his placed both of his hands on my upper arms.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to raise my voice." He said softly. Shaking my head, I tried to say that it was okay but sob broke through my lips. He began to lift me up to my feet by my upper arms and pulled me forward until I was wrapped in his arms. "I'm sorry."

For the next ten or so minutes, Kyoya allowed me to cry all of my frustration out onto his chest. Not just for the fight we had but over the engagement I had been forced into, for all the dispute between Megumi and myself, for finding out that my father had another family before my mom and me that he never told us about and the fact that my dad wasn't here with me now to tell me what I should do.

When all my tears were spent, I took a deep breath and pulled my face away from Kyoya's shirt. I grimaced. It was soaked with tear stains and even a touch of glitter from my glittery skin tone eye shadow. He looked down at it and chuckled briefly. "Well, look at that..."

"I'm sorry." I frowned. "I'll buy you a new shirt."

"No no. It's fine. Really. My suit jacket was taken by the hostess. I'll have her bring it to me." As he spoke, he lightly brushed his fingertips across my cheeks, moving away the stray tears. "Are you alright now?"

I nodded. "Yes. Thank you. And you don't have to apologize for earlier. That was my fault too. I drug it out of you."

He began to lean down, looking more shy and tentative than ever. "I've been taught to never, under any circumstances, raise my voice to a lady. Even an infuriating one who seems to get some sort of... rise out of me every time we're in the same room." He finished his statement with a slight smirk and I bit my lip.

He removed one arm from around my waist and moved his fingertips across my bottom lip until I stopped biting it. Moving his hand to cup my cheek, he leaned down and kissed me again.

"Awwwww!" Said a group of girlish voices. Be both broke apart in surprise to see about five different young waitresses peeking into the room, the door about a foot open. Behind them was Mark and Mr. Ootori.


	13. Avianna's New Found Plan

**THANKS FOR READING AND REVIEWING FOR CHAPTER TWELVE. :) HERE'S CHAPTER THIRTEEN.**

**NOT AS EASY AS I'D LIKE TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER. I WAS LISTENING TO FLOWERS FOR A GHOST BY THRIVING IVORY. DEPRESSING SONG BUT VERY BEAUTIFUL AND IT KINDA MESSES WITH THE MOOD I WANT FOR THIS CHAPTER. NOW I'M LISTENING TO JUST A DREAM BY JESSE DEE. (NO RELATION TO THE SONG YOU'RE THINKING OF.)**

**!IT'LL PROBABLY BE CHAPTER THIRTEEN **

**Chapter 13**

"_Awwwww!" Said a group of girlish voices. We both broke apart in surprise to see about five different young waitresses peeking into the room, the door about a foot open. Behind them was Mark and Mr. Ootori._

"Now that's enough ladies!" Said the woman in the black kimono who was just passing by the room. She shooed the girls away. "Get back to work or you'll be in trouble!"

When only Mark and Mr. Ootori remained, the two were giving us strange looks as we stood, side by side, with sheepish expressions on our faces. Kyoya bowed his head. "Yes father?"

Mr. Ootori wore glasses like his son and, because of the weird lighting in the room, it was causing a glare on them. I couldn't tell what he was thinking at all. After a second, he shook his head. "Nothing. We heard yelling and we were afraid that something was wrong so we went to check on you both. But what do we find when we show up? The two of you in a lip lock. We're sorry to disturb."

Without waiting for either of us to reply, Kyoya's father shut the sliding door quickly. A moment later, we heard them enter the room next door again. When we were alone once again, Kyoya began glaring at the floor. I didn't understand at all how he could go from sweet and attentive one minute to livid with anger the next.

"Wha-"

"I hate it when he sees me this way." He said softly, his teeth clenched.

"Like what?" As soon as I asked, I knew the answer. He hates it when his father sees him without his cold mask. It had been taken down until about a moment after his father looked in the room.

For about a minute, Kyoya tried to reign in on his frustration. Slowly but surely, the mask returned, leaving a look that would make anyone else think he was in a very serene state. I knew better. As if the whole thing never happened, Kyoya brushed the front of his shirt and hid the tear stains as best he could with his tie before going to take a seat at the table again.

The silence that stretched on as we waited for our food was long and uncomfortable. By the time Kyoya got around to saying anything, I was already convinced that the rest of dinner would be absolutely silent.

"Are you and Hiro friends?" He suddenly said, his eyes on the napkin he was folding into some sort of origami shape.

I actually had to think about my answer. After the whole thing today at school, I was angry over it and I didn't particularly want to be around him from the beginning but I really didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. "New friends. Nothing close. We only really talk at the beginning of class and sometimes at lunch when he doesn't have soccer practice during that time."

"What about the Masami Plaza? You invited him, right?"

I scowled at the table. "That would be Mina and Rinae's doing." They almost roped me into feeling an obligation to date Hiro. I feel bad about it now because he probably assumed I liked him when he called and I invited him. "Does it upset you that I talk to him?"

"I will never choose anything for you. If you want to be in his acquaintance then far be it from me to stop you." He didn't specifically answer the question. That more or less told me that the answer was a yes. It did upset him that I talked to the boy who caused a lot of trouble for him a few years ago.

I'd be more than happy to sever my ties with Hiro Bicho too but Mina and Rinae would think I was cruel for doing it. It's not like everyone knows about what happened when Kyoya and Hiro were freshman. I'm sure that Kyoya didn't want me telling anyone either.

"It's not like I can just show up tomorrow and tell him I'm not going to talk to him anymore." I whispered.

"I never told you to."

"But you want me to. Maybe Hiro's changed and he feels sorry for all that happened and he just needs the encouragement necessary to confess it."

What I said seemed to make him furious. "He's not sorry."

Eyes wide, I tried to figure out why he thought so. "There's more to the story, isn't there?"

"Please Avianna. Pick a different topic. I can't stand to talk about him." He practically growled under his breath, his black eyes narrowing as he finally gave up on his origami art and tore it in two.

I sighed, starting to get frustrated myself. He was so pig headed sometimes. If he's got a beef with someone, he needs to just tell me everything instead of half the story. That way I have a better idea of how to help.

Airi showed up a moment later with a big tray of food for us to dine on as we waited for Mark and Mr. Ootori's meeting to end. Determining to wait till after Kyoya had eaten to ask any more questions, I set to work on my own plate. I understood the phrase 'crabby when hungry' when it referred to boys. My dad was sort of the same way. But his disposition was just so carefree that he could never be too upset over anything.

When Kyoya had finished almost all of his food, I gathered my courage and asked him again. "Kyoya... What else is it about Hiro that makes you hate him?"

I had fully expected him to get angry again and force the subject to drop and he seemed like he was about to for a second. Placing his chopsticks to the side, his eyes darkened as he appeared to fall deeper and deeper into his own thoughts. He seemed to choose anger as the dominating emotion in his eyes but I didn't think he was angry with me for asking.

"The V List." He whispered, his expression suddenly sickened looking.

It didn't sound familiar at all. "What is it?"

"There is a secret list, a red notebook, that is hidden somewhere in the Ouran boy's locker room. On it are the names of pure girls at Ouran that specific boys want to sleep with. Once a boy succeeds in getting her, her name is crossed off the list. Each year, new names are added. Most of the standards of the girls at Ouran are high because of the way they were brought up so it isn't often that a girl's name is crossed off the list but it still happens. About ten names a year are marked off..."

He paused to look at my face, as if to gauge my expression before he continued. He cleared his throat. "I hear talk about it in Physical Education class but I'd never seen it before this year. About three days after school started, the list was brought out and passed around so that new names could be added. Since some middle schoolers were now freshmen, it seemed like a good time for them." Kyoya paused his jaw going rigid as he clenched his teeth together. "After about a minute of them adding names while I tried to leave the room without drawing attention to myself, Hiro took the book and make a bet with his friends that he would bed the half commoner by the end of the class trip."

The chopsticks I had been holding in my hand fell and hit my nearly empty plate with a loud clack. Eyes wide, I nearly gagged. "What?"

He glared at his plate. "Don't make me say it again..."

I shook my head. "You seem like exactly the kind of person to turn something like that in. Why didn't you when you first saw it?"

"When I learned about it my freshman year, I didn't really care about it. It didn't concern me and I was content to pretend it didn't exist. No one I personally knew made it on the list as far as I could tell so why did it matter before now?"

"You don't know that. This list could have been made a very long time ago and it could date back all the way to, I don't know, when your sister went to Ouran?"

His eyes got that scary expression that get when he's taken off guard. "Don't even joke about that."

"Who's joking? Are you wanting to have it turned in now? This list sounds like it could absolutely destroy the reputations of girls at Ouran."

"How do you suppose we go about it?" He asked, always the one to look at things from every angle. "The best way would be to find the list and turn it in directly but I don't know where it is. For all I know, someone could have taken it home with them for safe keeping."

I shrugged, trying to think through possible plans. Kyoya probably could manage it. He was very influential in this school. If he could have a spare set of keys made for him that went to the locker room, he could check it early in the morning. "What about getting a key made for you that goes to the locker room? Go there as soon as you get to school in the morning and hunt it down?"

He shook his head. "It's not that I don't have the keys. I keep a skeleton key that accesses all doors and lockers in my school bag. I just won't have time the rest of this week. For the next few days, I won't be showing up until a few minutes before school starts. My father will have me busy with things. Basically an internship where I accompany him to work. We can see about trying to find it after this week. Maybe when the trip is over."

The gears in my head began to turn as a plan hatched. Trying to keep the mischievous look off my face, I went back to eating my dinner. When Kyoya was just accepting the jacket that the hostess had brought back for him, Mark and Mr. Ootori came next to door for us. Kyoya put on his blazer jacket and buttoned it up before bowing his head in my direction and going to join his father in the hall.

"You're closer to him than I thought." Mark said on the ride home. "Yoshio and I are pleased with that." So it's at a first name basis now, huh? Sounds like the merger is going along smoothly.

Sticking to the promise I made myself earlier, I ignored Mark. Once at home, I went directly upstairs and got ready for bed. As I crawled under the covers, I had the plan firmly plotted in my head. All I needed to do was wait till Saturday morning. Even if I made the top then and got to go on the trip, those students were supposed to meet up at Ouran first anyway. With everyone distracted over the trip, it would be the perfect time to sneak in and find the list myself. Once I 'borrowed' Kyoya's master key that is.

The next morning, my alarm buzzed an hour later than it usually does. I had set it for seven instead of six. Kyoya wouldn't be arriving early the next few days so I didn't really have a reason to get up until I really had to. When I had started to walk down the stairs that morning, I began to feel kind of sick as I thought of my plan. Stealing from Kyoya was not right at all but I honestly didn't think he'd lend me the key if he knew what I was going to do with it. He'd thank me for it when I handed him the list myself.

"Are you ready Miss. Yukimura?" Mr. Kobayashi asked and I nodded.

"Yep!" Let's get going. Two more days of testing and I can hopefully relax the rest of this week.

I arrived at school about fifteen minutes before it would start, my study guide tucked under my arm. When I walked into class, I was dismayed to see that Hiro had showed up a little earlier as well. The weird thing was he wasn't sitting in his desk. He was writing the words 'TESTING Day 2' on the board.

"Very good Hiro. You're free to take a seat now. Remember to show up tomorrow morning too." Our teacher said and Hiro gratefully put down the dry erase marker and went to take a seat beside me.

"Hey." He whispered and grinned. "Can you believe it? The teacher found out I had wanted to cheat and instead of failing me, she allowed me to serve morning detention for the rest of this week. Since I'm a good student and all."

I glared at him and looked towards the front. I can't believe he's pretending to be my friend when all he's really looking for is some action... "I don't want to talk..."

I saw him begin to look alarmed out of the corner of my eye. "Did I do something?"

Yes. "No. I just don't want to talk today. Headache."

He seemed to believe me then. He probably heard about how I fainted in the hall after the last headache I had. He turned back towards the front then and left me alone for the remainder of the day. Once Kyoya arrived, I gave him a shy smile which he returned. He didn't seem to care if any of his jealous guests were in this class. He never seemed like the type to care about what anyone but his father thought.

Kyoya had really cut it close today because the bell rang a few seconds after he had taken a seat. The teacher jumped up and went on a little speech about what we should and shouldn't do during today's testing. Yesterday, we had completed the Math and English section before lunch and then after lunch, we spent that remaining time doing the 'Life Skills' test.

Today would consist of Science and History in the morning and then Foreign Language tests after lunch. Since I've only been taking an advanced Japanese class to help me speak different dialects of Japanese instead of just the basic language, I'd only have to spend any hour of my afternoon in testing and the rest of it, I was free to spend in the library or in one of the common rooms. Whatever those were.

Testing flew by quickly today. Science was a bit bumpy but the rest went pretty quickly. Kyoya didn't ask me to sit with him at lunch today. He probably noticed how surprised Mina and Rinae, along with half of the female population at Ouran, were the other day and didn't want a repeat. The girls asked several questions about it but I did my best to dodge them all. When Hiro arrived, I had to fake another headache to keep him from trying to talk to me.

When I had finished my oral and written exam for my advanced foreign language class, I followed a group of students who said that were going to head to the common room. Thankfully, Mina exited her testing room as I passed by it, so I wouldn't have to go alone.

"What exactly are the common rooms?"

"They're three connected rooms downstairs that have lots of stuff we can do. We can play games or take a walk in its garden or watch a movie or just sit around and talk. And lots more. The hosts like going here too so we might run into them. Come see."

Mina linked her arm with mine and began dragging me down the stairs and down the opposite hall you would normally go down to get to the cafeteria. Opening a set of double doors, she and I walked into what looked like a first class country club. Everyone either lounged around on fine furniture or played at one of the many pool tables or even foose ball machines. That was just room one.

She and I walked through another arch and into a room that had been converted into a makeshift theater. Comfortable armchairs were scattered about, all circling a very large television that was mounted on the wall. But we didn't stop there. She went through another arch. The final room was some sort of first class tiki island juice bar where several students were sitting at little circle tables with drinks. The bartender was handing Tamaki what looked like a tiki island drink complete with a little umbrella in it.

"Miss. Avianna! Miss. Mina! Come sit and have a drink. I'm afraid Kyoya isn't here yet Miss. Avianna but he should be soon. He's taking his French test. Being half French myself, I tried to volunteer to be his tutor but, alas, he refused!"

I tuned him out then, Mina more than happy to take the bar stool beside him and strike up a conversation while the bartender asked what drink I'd like. I glanced at the big menu on the wall behind him. "I'll take a watermelon smoothie."

"Hello." His voice had become so familiar that I knew I could hear it even if the room we were in had been much more noisy than it was.

"Kyoya." I responded, glancing over my shoulder. "Want a drink? I'm buying."

He took a seat beside me and placed his bag in front of him. "No thank you. This bar mostly caters to those with a sweet tooth and I don't particularly have one."

"I do!" Honey senpai yelled loudly before hoping up and telling the bartender to get him a chocolate shake and a piece of strawberry cake pronto.

Accepting my own drink from the bartender, I was content to spend this time before the hectic club meeting just sitting here with Kyoya. After a minute of listening to the noisy Tamaki, he recommended we take a seat at a table in the corner of the room. Agreeing, I picked up my bag and drink and followed him.

When we had taken our near seats, he surprised me by asking about my life back in America. Friends. Family. That sort of thing. "Well, up until I was fifteen, it had been my dad, my mom and me. After my dad died, my grandma, his mother, moved in with us to help take care of things. I didn't have very many friends. I've never liked having a big group of friends. Just a few good ones is enough for me."

"How did you come to know your half brother?"

"He showed up at my seventeenth birthday party. He had just found out about my father's death and the existence of my mother and me a short while ago and he decided to come and meet us face to face."

He seemed to mull over the words I had spoken as I took another sip of my drink. "Why did you decide to come to Japan? Is it just for your father?"

I shrugged. "More or less. Like I told you. I feel like my father would want me here. But I want to be here too. I was raised Japanese. When my father was out of work for a while when I was little, he'd teach me the language and the culture. I loved it all. So it's for more than just my father. I'll admit though... When I first arrived, I was really unhappy."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why? Did you truly want to be here or not?"

I grimaced. "I really did. I still do. Just...at the time, I was depressed because the letter my father left for me that explained what he wanted for me opened new wounds...I was also really reluctant to go to school here. I'm the outsider. The half commoner that only has any sort of notoriety because of a half brother I just met. It was all really overwhelming."

"You made friends rather quickly, I'd say." He said thoughtfully, his eyes going to everyone sitting at the bar still. "I hope you enjoy your time here now."

I nodded, meaning it. "I really do. Almost everyone I've met at Ouran has made me feel right at home."

With one large exemption. Megumi. But if I was lucky enough to make the top ten for year three, I'd get to go to Okinawa and get away from her for longer than just this week. "If I told you that I've been doing some investigating into what I thought might be following us in the maze, what would you say?" He asked.

"Uh..."

"Kyoya! School will be over in half an hour!" Tamaki called. "We need to hurry and get things set up for the club!"

Kyoya looked at me. "Would you like to help us set up?"

I shrugged and stood up. "Sure." Giving my cup to a passing man in an apron, who was collecting dishes, I followed Mina and the hosts out of the common rooms and out into the hallway.

Mina had originally been walking with Tamaki but she slowed her pace to match mine. "I've gotta go to my locker and put my bag up and then I promised Mina I'd meet her at her last class and sit with her in it until school ended. Her teacher won't let anyone leave her class early after finishing tests."

I smiled and gave her a side hug. "See you after school. Tell Rinae I'll buy her a watermelon smoothie from the commons lounge. If she hasn't tried it yet, she really should."

"Will do!" She said with a wave over her shoulder before parting ways with the group as we made it to the top of the staircase.

When Kyoya unlocked the club room doors with a golden key, he put it back in his bag and opened the doors for everyone. "Alright. First, I want everyone to go get dressed. Remember. Today is a theme day. Your gothic romance outfits can be found in dressing bags in the other room. Once you're back out, help set things up." Kyoya ordered.

When everyone started heading for the side room doors, he turned to me. "I'll be back momentarily. While you wait, you're welcome to take a seat at that table over there. There's a box with rose buds and little cards of poetry. Use the hot glue gun to glue the little stems of the rose buds on like you'll see some of them done."

With that, he went into the room the others went to and left me to my own devices. Now would be a good time to take the skeleton key. He had left it sitting in his bag on the table next to me. But he'd probably notice it gone... Shaking my head, I went right to work on gluing rose buds to stationary cards. When I had finished the final card, the hosts emerged in dark Victorian clothing. All part of the gothic literature theme.

"Avianna." Kyoya said and motioned towards the far wall. "Help Mori senpai and Honey senpai put up the wall decorations."

Nodding, I followed the two seniors towards a big box full of black silk. Mori senpai picked one up and handed it up to Honey senpai, who was on his shoulders. Honey senpai hung it up over the window and let the ends cascade down to the floor, giving the room a darker appeal.

I stood on a window seat and attempted to reach the curtains in my hands to the hooks but I wasn't tall enough to reach it. I was startled when I suddenly became a foot taller. Looking back, I saw that Mori senpai had lifted me up. Putting the curtains on the hooks quickly, I thanked him as he lowered me to the ground.

After the curtains were all hung, I helped place black lace tablecloths on each table and decorate each tabletop with vases full of roses and those poetry cards I had helped decorate.

"That about does it." Kyoya said casually as he scanned the room. "We're running out of time. Get to your places and wait." Kyoya turned to me and lowered his voice. "Avianna, I think it's best if you wait in the other room until after all the guests arrive. We wouldn't want any fights started."

If he had told me this last week, I would've shook my head and told him that I didn't care what the other guests think. But after taking a tumble down the stairs, I realized that some of these girls were insane and that I needed to watch myself. Being a guest of the Ouran Host Club meant that you had to step lightly through a minefield. One wrong move and you were gone.

"Okay." Collecting my bag, I walked quickly across the room and shut myself inside the side room. It looked pretty much like the other room only the tables and chairs had all been pushed back to make way for item and costume storage. On the far left wall, there was a row of curtained off areas that I guessed were changing rooms.

I listened intently as I heard the crowd of girls run into the room. I considered going out now while the guests were all distracted with signing up but part of me really didn't want to have to sit with a bunch of other lovestruck girls while I talked with Kyoya. I know that Kyoya and I are balancing on a thin line between friends and more and he is my fiance above that but I wouldn't ever ask him to quit the host club. In spite of the stress is seems to bring him, he seems to like keeping Tamaki's imaginary boat floating by making sure the host club doesn't fall apart. He's responsible for basically everything they have to do to get things ready for the guests. Without Kyoya, I have a strong feeling that the club would fall apart.

Deciding to remain in this room, I sat my bag down on a nearby chair and went to browse through the many rows of costume carts. I was surprised when I found an entire row of dresses on the cart labeled 'Haruhi'. They must like making her dress up a lot. Well, Tamaki must. Anyone with eyes could see that he likes her.

When I had finished looking through all the odds and ends in the room, I went back over to retrieve my bag and went to sit at a window seat near the door. The window was so dusty that I could barely see out of it. Cleaning a little spot to bring in some sunlight, I took out my book and began reading, checking the time on the clock on the wall periodically so I would make it outside in time to be picked up by Mr. Kobayashi.

As I finished the twentieth chapter of the book, I noticed that the noise had stopped in the other room. Figuring that the meeting was over, I placed my book in my bag and went to the door. When I opened it, I saw that the room was completely empty and that the lights of the main room had all shut off except for the dim wall lights.

"Hello?" I whispered timidly, not wanting to walk through the large dark room but wanting to get the heck out of here if I were alone.

"Over here." I sighed in relief. Kyoya was still here. Shutting the side room doors, I scurried over to Kyoya. He was sitting at a table with many receipts in his hands. "What are you still doing here? I thought you left." He mumbled as he began copying receipt information into a little black notebook.

"I didn't want to go home yet and the club meetings are always so noisy. So I read a book in the other room. Is that okay?"

"I don't have a problem with it. But you may not want to make a habit out of it. Five more minutes and I would've shut off all the lights and accidentally locked you inside."

I shuddered. All night in a dark school did not sound fun. Of course I could just get my phone out and call Kyoya if that were to happen. He did have the master key after all. "Sorry. Should I go? You seem busy."

"No, it's alright. I'm just finishing up calculating the budget for next week." He stacked all of the receipts into a pile and put a paperclip around them before placing them into his black notebook and shutting it. "I'll walk you to your car."

Picking up his belongings, he quickly walked towards me and escorted me from the room and out of the school. He seemed a little rushed today. I didn't even have a chance to ask him why before I was in the car and on my way home with Mr. Kobayashi.

"Your brother wanted me to tell you that he's left for a quick business trip. He'll be in Kyoto for a few days so he probably won't get to say goodbye before you leave for Okinawa. He says you're welcome to spend the few days at a friend's if you don't want to be alone at the house." Mr. Kobayashi told me.

Everyone is forgetting that I haven't even found out if I've made the top ten yet. I really hope I do. Being around the school without Kyoya would be really boring. "I'll stay home tonight. It's okay." It's not like I'd be really 'alone'. There would be Mari and all the other hired help there to look after me.

When I arrived home, Mari was sitting at the dining room table with a glass of water and a small pile of mail in her hands. When she saw me, she motioned me forward. "How was school? Would you like a snack?"

"No, that's okay." I smiled at took a seat at the table. Figuring I could study in silence while she read her mail, I pulled out my study guide.

Tomorrow would be my final test. My entire morning would be taken up with a big test for Physical Education class and then my afternoon would be completely free. I had decided to stick with the bare minimum here at Ouran since I had first figured that the work would be extremely difficult. I guess the teachers here didn't want to put too much academic pressure on the future heirs of Japan's companies.

"Did Mr. Kobayashi tell you about Mark's business trip?" She asked thoughtfully as she opened a small envelope and pulled out a hand written letter.

"Yeah. Why exactly does he have to heave town for a business trip though? Isn't his number one priority Mr. Ootori? The merger is less than a month away."

"Well, when Mark claims he has to leave town on a business trip, it usually has something to do with wanting to get away. Meaning that he's probably with a few of his associates in Kyoto, having a good time while pretending to make it about business. Once next week rolls around, there will be a lot going on for Mark. He needs a break beforehand to prepare for the added stress."

I frowned. "He deserves the stress..."

"Avianna dear." Mari sighed, her maternal side beginning to show. "I know you're not happy with him right now and I know your reasoning is completely acceptable. But Mark really does feel guilty. He's not very good with apologizing and his company needs this merger more than anyone knows. If this merger doesn't go through, Mark may very well lose his company entirely. I've heard that his branch in New York isn't doing well at all and forming an alliance with Mr. Ootori was his last desperate attempt at saving it."

"Oh..." It still didn't excuse it.

"Tell me dear. What is he like?" She asked and it took me a moment to realize that she meant Kyoya. It's as if she knew I was just thinking about him. "Your groom to be, I mean."

I blushed. "Well... He's..." I sat up straight. "Intelligent. I mean, really intelligent. He's dignified and mannered and just... For someone who's being forced into submission by his father, he seems so capable of anything. Like his obedience to his father is all entirely of his own free will and he's only doing it to placate everyone. He doesn't realize it, or maybe he does, that if he wanted to, he could walk away from everything right now and do anything at all with his life."

She smiled kindly. "Sounds like a good match for you. You're very intelligent too. And... I know it feels like you've been forced into this marriage but it sounds to me like this Kyoya Ootori is a good match. Maybe there's some good in it."

Her words reminded me of when Kyoya had said he was trying to find the good in our engagement while we ate at the restaurant. It was the only time I had seen him use unadulterated passion when he spoke. Or yelled, as I remembered it. The way Kyoya's emotions worked, it reminded me of a slowly boiling tea kettle. He was soft spoken and orderly until the heat of an argument provoked him into blowing his top. As soon as the heat was taken from the argument, he was orderly and calm again.

For just a moment, I looked at the pros of the situation. I was going to marry a very good man. Someone who could take care of me. At least in that, my mom could console herself. The knots in my stomach suddenly loosened. "I guess I could handle something to eat. Something light?"

She grinned and stood up. "How about some rice balls?"

"With little shredded fish mixed it?" I asked, perking up.

"Of course."

While Mari made the plate of rice balls for us to share, I tried my best to study. My Phys Ed final had a written portion in it too about the history of sports and when they had all been introduced in Japan. After the written portion, we'd have to warm up and do a set of timed exorcises before running a mile on the indoor track. Something I had to do once a semester in America had to be done once a month here. I hated running with a passion but I needed to do my best or risk failing gym.

While I munched on a rice ball, I considered text messaging Kyoya. It probably wasn't a good idea. Like he said. His dad would be keeping him very busy these next few days. By bed time that night, I could officially say that I missed Kyoya. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. It made me feel bored and depressed. I am going to run like I'm being chased by a pack of bears during that final. I will not fail gym and miss out on the trip.

When I fell asleep, my dreams were blurry but one face stood out in the haze. Kyoya's.


	14. Get Out

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE LAST THIRTEEN CHAPTERS. :) HERE'S NUMBER FOURTEEN.**

**JAI HO! LISTEN TO THIS SONG! NO JOKE, IT'S AWESOME AND THE BEAT IS SO CATCHY! :D I'M WATCHING AN OURAN VID WITH THIS SONG!**

**Chapter 14**

I am in so much trouble... I frowned as I waited in the foyer of Ouran Academy's High School building with the rest of the school. Everyone was crowding in front of a big board that listed the names of the top ten in school. The crowd was so thick with frantic people, all wanting a peek at the list, that I had to just stand there and wait for a good ten minutes in one spot.

On Thursday, I had done excellent on my Phys Ed written exam and pretty well on the beginning exercise portion as well. But during the mile run, I practically burned out halfway through it. I pushed myself to the end and ended up having to spend the remainder of the hour in the nurse's office, catching my breath and re hydrating myself. I didn't even get to ask what my time on it was. I had to finish it in a maximum of eight minutes to keep my A plus in class.

So here I am. At school early on Friday, hoping that I didn't do as horrible as I think I did on my tests. Finally, the crowd began to move as a couple of teachers scolded the people up from for hogging it. A minute later, I ended up bumping right into someone's back.

"Excuse me." I mumbled, rubbing my nose. Ouch. I looked up and saw Kyoya in front of me. When he saw that I was being jostled around, he let me step in front of him. He and I were in the group that would get to look at the board next.

"How did your final test go?" He asked.

"Fine I guess." I lied.

"That's not what I heard." He said simply, a smirk on his face.

I stared up at him in disbelief. "What did you hear?"

"Apparently you finished your mile run and had to be escorted to the nurse's office. Or so says Miss. Mina and Miss. Rinae, who both have gym with you, yes?"

I nodded, glaring at the girl in the front group who looked a lot like Rinae from behind. "I'm so glad that me burning out was such an amusing story." I said sarcastically.

The group in front of us suddenly dispersed, allowed another group to step forward. Running up, I searched for my grade with trepidation. The list went in the order of who made the top grades in class so I started at the bottom, figuring that I'd be there if anywhere. As my eyes scanned up the list, I was more and more positive that I wasn't on it.

Then suddenly, there it was. I was... "My name is first..." I whispered. My name was right above Kyoya's. I made better grades than Kyoya? Looking at said boy, he seemed rather surprised himself.

"Congratulations." He said with wide eyes. "I don't think I've been knocked off the top of the list since I first started high school.

I frowned. "I'm sorry."

He gave me an incredulous stare. "Don't be sorry at all. You're a great student. And in case you were curious, I did find out your mile time from Miss. Mina and Miss. Rinae. A half a minute less than my mile time. Seven minutes and fifteen seconds."

My eyes bugged out. No way. I honestly couldn't remember anything about my mile after the halfway mark. I ran like I was trying to clear the impact area before a bomb went off and my vision seemed to blur until I was collapsed on the ground at the end of it.

"Avianna!" I heard Mina yell before motioning wildly for me to come over. She and Rinae were standing about ten feet away from Kyoya and I.

I gave Kyoya an apologetic stare. "I'll meet up with you at the club room later if there's any time left before class."

When I made it through the crowd, Mina and Rinae looked at me with wide eyes. "You made the number one spot for our grade!" Mina yelled. "That's incredible!"

I blushed in slight pride. "Thank you. Oh! I never checked. Did you guys place?"

They both frowned. "No. Neither of us made the list. I failed my math test and Rinae failed her English one."

That really upset me. "That seriously sucks. The trip won't be as fun without you two."

Rinae smiled and patted my shoulder. "Don't worry about us. While you guys are gone, classes are pretty fun. They don't give us any homework and most days are filled with lots of talking instead of a ton of notes so you guys don't fall behind while you're on the trip."

"YAY! We made it on the trip!" I heard Tamaki shout suddenly. "Did you hear that ladies! The entire host club is going to OKINAWAAAAAAAA!"

Rolling my eyes, I was surprised by how many of the girls going on the trip seemed thrilled at this news. The Host Club really did have a large number of guests. It took me a good five minutes to fight my way through the crowd so I could get to class. I didn't have time to visit with Kyoya after all. Going straight to class, I sat in my seat feeling happier than ever.

That is, until Hiro opened his mouth. "Avianna! I heard you made the top spot for our grade. I made the list too."

I had to try my best not to grimace. "Cool." I said with a half smile.

Hiro sighed. "Alright, explain what's going on. This is the third day in a row you've been giving me the 'I really don't want to talk to you' look."

I began to feel panicked. He noticed? "What do you mean?"

"Don't try to spare my feelings. Just tell me what's up?"

I put my head in my hands. I really really really didn't want to confront him on everything. Once I found the V List and gave it to Kyoya to turn in, I would have an obvious reason not to talk to him. But... It made me wonder which boys besides Hiro put names in. Did any of the hosts? What if, by turning in the book, I got people in trouble that I didn't want in trouble. I agonized over it up until the bell rang. Hiro saw how much pressure he was putting on me and thankfully dropped the subject. Maybe... I should wait to find the book until I knew for sure that none of the hosts were involved with it?

After the bell rang, a loud beep sounded over the intercom. "Would all students who have their name on the list of students attending the trip report to the auditorium immediately?"

After that announcement, I knew that the rest of the day today would be good. If I could just get Hiro and the list out of my mind, the next week would be awesome. Standing up with my school bag, I walked over to Kyoya, who was waiting for me at the door.

Kyoya and I slowed our pace just a bit, allowing all the other students in the hallway to walk ahead of us. When everyone was out of earshot, Kyoya looked over to me. "If Hiro is bothering you, I can talk to him for you."

I smiled, grateful that he would talk to someone he wants nothing to do with just to make things easier for me. "It's okay Kyoya. I can handle it."

"Come on you two!" Hiro called, his eyes only on me. "Don't wanna be late!"

Picking up the pace, Kyoya and I walked right past Hiro. The auditorium of this Ouran building was about three times the size of any auditorium I've ever seen. The forty students attending the trip had all gone to sit at the front of the middle column of red theater chairs. Taking a seat behind all the other students with Kyoya, we watched as Chairman Suoh took center stage behind a podium.

"Congratulations to the forty students who sit in this room today. You are truly the most exceptional students in this school and I really hope that you continue to be for your remainder of time here at Ouran. Four students will be honored today with awards for their academic excellence."

Awards? Kyoya glanced over at me and gave me a knowing look. I felt really bad now. If they were giving awards to the top people on the list, I really jipped Kyoya. He's been here a lot longer than me. But he didn't seem to mind at all.

Chairman Suoh went through the list of names and shook the hand of each student that walked across the stage to receive a foot high trophy that looked like it was made out of crystal. When my name was called, I stood up and kept my eyes on my feet as I walked towards the stage stairs. I really didn't want to take a fall down these. There was always something more menacing about falling down stairs in public than when only a couple people were watching.

Shaking Chairman Suoh's hand, I took the trophy. "Thank you sir."

Walking back to my seat, I clutched the trophy shyly to my chest. I was always a good student in America but I was never acknowledged for it till I went to Japan. Running my fingers over the gold plate, I wondered if it was real crystal and gold. My name had been etched onto it along with the year and a brief description for why I received the trophy in the first place.

"As you all know, our destination for this trip is Okinawa." Chairman Suoh said. "We've decided that the first few days will be sent at a luxury hotel in Okinawa Hontō. Those three days will be spent touring and sight seeing when we aren't at the beach." Chairman Suoh had to pause for a moment as some of the students began to talk with excitement. When the talking died back down, he smiled widely, reminding me of Tamaki. "On Tuesday Morning, we'll take a boat to Kume Island where we'll stay at a private onsen for the remainder of the trip. We'll then return to Tokyo Saturday morning of next week."

Once again, he had to wait for the crowd to calm down. When he was able to speak again. He explained how everyone would have to be divided into groups and that those groups would remain until halfway through the trip. "Choose your group members wisely. You won't be allowed to switch later. You will do all your sight seeing in these groups and each group will be assigned a chaperone. Once you reach the onsen in a few days, the groups may dis ban. Groups must contain a minimum of five people and a maximum of ten."

Chairman Suoh then left us to choose our groups. Looking at Kyoya, I gave him a shy smile. "Want to make a group?"

He nodded, his eyes locating each of the hosts. "That will make eight." He stood up and called out each of the hosts. When they all were able to get out of the swarms of girls asking them to join their groups, Kyoya explained the groupings.

"YAY! OKINAWAAAAAAAA!" Tamaki yelled, his eyes sparkling in excitement.

"You act as if you've never been to Okinawa." Kyoya said before smacking Tamaki on the back of the head.

"I have but never before with all the hosts! This will be awesome!" He yelled, causing me to feel the beginnings of a headache.

"Must you yell this early in the morning?" Kyoya sighed before massaging his right temple.

"Kyo chan?" Honey senpai called, catching everyone's attention. "We have a couple guests that really want to be in our group. We have room for two more, right?"

"That wouldn't necessarily be fair to let any guest into our group though." Hikaru said and I didn't miss how his eyes darted to me. "So why is she-"

"Avianna's here for more reasons than just being a guest though." Tamaki thankfully intervened. "If Kyoya says that his father prefers it if she's around him, far be it from us to evoke the anger of any parent of any host."

'Thank you Tamaki'. I thought to myself and made a promise to myself to be a little more understanding about his hyperactive behavior.

"Don't worry about taking on more group members just yet." Kyoya said before pulled out his black notebook and writing something. "We can add it to the list of prizes we're giving out during today's club meeting. So that no guest feels as if we've picked favorites with Avianna, we'll just pretend we drew her name."

Everyone seemed happy with this arrangement. We were told to have our groups decided by Saturday morning. I really didn't want anyone else to be as hostile towards me as Megumi is. I knew that me even being within ten feet of any host caused problems so I tried to keep my distance for the rest of the day.

During my first hour, our teacher handed us the written results of all our finals. My highest scores were in Mathematics and the Phys Ed test. Those scores were what boosted my overall score, making me one of the top students. After lunch, everyone who was going on the trip went to a table in the foyer where they were giving out medium sized silk bags that included some papers and pamphlets about everything we could do on the trip, a t-shirt that said 'OKINAWA' and some other odds and ends. Collecting my bag, I went off to my next class.

Hiro made it his personal goal that entire day to not leave me alone once. He'd meet me outside of my classes and would try to walk me all the way to the next one. Several times, he asked me to join his group for the Okinawa trip, saying that they had an extra opening. I declined quickly with the excuse that I had my own group, wishing he'd leave me alone. I was extremely happy about this trip but I was also excited about returning and finding that V List. As soon as it was turned in, Hiro would be out of my life.

At the end of school, I was surprised when I didn't see Kyoya with the main group. Each host was frantically trying to entertain their own guests along with Kyoya's. The tables in the club room had been pushed back and the chairs had been placed for all the guests to sit in a group. A makeshift stage had been brought in as well. "Avianna!" Tamaki called. "Find Kyoya! He's in trouble for not showing up in time!"

"Uh, sure." I exited the club room, figuring he might be at his locker. Running downstairs, I didn't see him there. I was just about to go back up the main stairs when I heard somebody talking somewhere off to the right. It sounded an awful lot like Yoshio Ootori.

Quietly walking towards the voice, I found Kyoya and his father outside of the school. They were standing a good fifteen feet away, off to the right. I peered out the window, trying to remain hidden by the large curtain. I could hear the tones of the voices but the glass was too thick for me to understand anything they were saying. From what I could see, Kyoya was standing there and silently taking his father's fury. I'd never seen Kyoya's father look so angry.

Locating a latch, I carefully and silently opening the window an inch. "You listen to me! I gave you orders and you are to follow them or-"

"Or what?" Kyoya asked, his tone causing a very dangerous look to cloud Mr. Ootori's face. "You'll not make me heir? That's already a given."

"I'll take back your managing rights of the local medical company..." Mr. Ootori tried but Kyoya seemed to be way ahead of him.

"If that's what you want then fine. It'll only be a matter of time before you loose grip and have it taken out from under you again. You're lucky I was there to fix things for you." The way Kyoya was talking to his father was beyond anything I'd ever seen. The way he acted in front of his father all the other times made me think he was afraid of him. How wrong I was.

"If you don't do what I've asked, I'll cancel the engagement! I know you don't want that!" Mr. Ootori yelled, causing Kyoya's defiant glare to fade into an emotionless mask.

Kyoya looked at his watch. "I have club duties to attend to. I'll see what I can do. Is that a good enough answer for you?"

Mr. Ootori straightened out then. He seemed to believe that his son would do whatever he asked then. I didn't understand what his father wanted at all and asking would tell him that I had been snooping. The thing that confused me the most was why the threat of canceling the engagement had been so effective with Kyoya. "Very good. You may go."

When Kyoya began walking towards the school's main door, I made a mad dash for the stairs. Getting to the top, I tried to calm my breathing and pretend I had just made the decision to look for him. Walking down calmly, Kyoya made it inside when I stepped on the bottom stair.

The look on his face when he saw me showed slight surprise and vulnerability. It was gone as soon as it came. "Avianna. Did you need something?"

"The other hosts are looking for you." I said softly. "Are you okay? You look sort of pale." Paler than he usually is.

He adjusted his glass. "Just fine. We should get upstairs. We were supposed to begin the drawing five minutes ago."

Kyoya walked right past me, not waiting for me to catch up this time. I looked down for a moment before following him upstairs. How do I cheer him up? I hated seeing him this rigidly depressed. When I made it back to the club room, he had already walked on stage. While I was gone, someone had moved a stand and a large golden bucket onto the stage as well. The bucket was filled to the brim with little slips of paper.

"Please take a seat ladies. We'll begin shortly." Kyoya said with a very fake smile.

The was an extreme lack of seating at the moment. I had to go all the way to the back row and take a seat at the far right end of the isle. "This is so exciting!" I heard a girl randomly shout. I rolled my eyes.

As Kyoya had mentioned several days earlier, a list of twenty prizes were lined up on the stage. A row of tables were placed on the stage for the prizes to sit on. There was everything from diamond necklaces to expense paid trips to luxury hotels in the surrounding area. Kyoya then explained that he was going to begin with three bonus prizes.

"There are three available spots in the host club's Okinawa trip group. We've already drawn three names that are going on the trip and these young ladies will accompany us to all of our destinations for the first few days. This is separate from the other prizes and, if your name is announced, it will be put right back in the drawing. Once we begin announcing the twenty big prizes, your name will only be called once if that."

"I wish you the best of luck." Tamaki purred. "In my hand, I have a list with the names of the three young ladies who will be added to our group for the trip."

A murmur of anticipation went through the room. There were several guests who were eligible for this prize. Kyoya took the card from Tamaki and adjusted his glasses. "Miss. Ren Ebina...Miss. Avianna Yukimura...Miss. Setsuko Chisu. Please come up and accept your certificates."

Getting up, I went through all the formalities of getting to be in the host club's group. There was no way I was gonna jump up and down while screaming my head off like the Setsuko girl was doing but I managed to look pleasantly surprised. Taking the certificate from Kyoya, I bowed my head and went to take my seat again.

The next half hour was spent giving out prizes. When all the object and trip prizes were given, seven little gift bags were given out as well. The bags were filled with chocolate boxes and little photo albums of the hosts. I leaned my head and tried to massage the tension out of my neck. This is really boring. I can't wait till tomorrow.

"This concludes today's prize giveaway. The meeting will be cut short today to give everyone going on the trip tomorrow a chance to pack. Please exit in an orderly fashion." Kyoya said before walking off the stage and opening the double doors. There were actually some girls literally crying over not getting a prize.

"Kyoya senpai? Can we please stay a little longer?" One asked, latched onto his arm. He had to pry her off. I felt a vein in my forehead pop as she tried to latch on again.

"As much as I would love that Miss. Niama, I have to get home myself. I'll be packing for the trip myself."

She nodded, looking disappointed. "I hope you have fun on the trip. I don't get to go."

"But there's always the December trip. I'd enjoy attending it with you Miss. Niama. Have a wonderful evening." Kyoya turned towards all the lingering girls. "Remember. There will be no club meetings for the next week since the entire Host Club will be gone. Enjoy your week."

Getting my bag, I stood behind the open door for a minute longer, hoping Kyoya would strike up a conversation with me before having to go home. Surprisingly, after all the guests left, Kyoya said his goodbyes to the hosts as well and went back into the club room.

When I entered, I saw that he was stacking all the chairs up himself. He took notice of me right away. "My punishment for being late for the club meeting." He said simply. I tried not to laugh. I brought out my phone and sent a text to Mr. Kobayashi that I'd be late getting home and that he didn't need to pick me up. Putting my bag down, I went over to help him. He seemed like he was about to refuse my help until he glanced at the several dozen chairs. He finally went back to stacking them.

When all the chairs were pushed to the side, he began dragging tables out again to their respective places and putting chairs with them. He even had to locate a power drill and dismantle the stage and bring the large boards into the joining room. I did my best to help but the boards were very heavy. When all that was said and done, he and I sweeped up the sawdust the fresh boards had scattered on the floor and dumped it in the trash.

It was relaxing to just work side by side with him. No talking, just comfortable silence. When we had finished the final chore, the sun had already set. I worried about what Mark would say for a second but then remembered he was out of town.

"We're done." He said before wiping his sawdust covered hands on a rag. "Thank you for helping me. I might have been here until midnight if you hadn't stayed."

"What time is it?" I asked.

He checked his wristwatch. "Almost nine thirty."

"Oh wow." It didn't feel that late at all. "I hate to ask but is there any way I could get a ride home from you?"

"Since you were kind enough to help, it's the least I could do." He said while adjusting his glasses. He pulled his phone out and appeared to send a quick text. He looked out the window for a moment, a look of concentration on his face. After a second, he turned to me and held out his hand. "Shall we?"

I nodded and placed my hand in his with a blush. 'I wonder when he's going to kiss me again', I thought as we walked side by side through the school. When down the stairs, Kyoya and I ran into a night guard. After a simple explanation, the man opened the door for us and allowed us to exit.

"It might take a little while for the limo to arrive. I actually told them to meet me at your house. We can walk there if you aren't against that." He told me, that tense look that had been in his eyes a couple days ago now gone.

"Sure." I held his hand a little more tightly as we walked through the dark streets. Even with Kyoya here, the dark would always make feel feel a little uneasy. It took a little longer than usual to get to my house. He didn't seem to be in nearly as much of a hurry as he was the other day.

Once we reached the door, I pulled out my copy of the house key and unlocked the door. Swinging it open, I saw that everyone had apparently gone to bed. All the lights were out. There was a little paper on the side table near the door from Mari explaining that she left some leftover sushi in the fridge for me when I arrived home and that I should wake her if she was needed.

Looking at Kyoya and my clasped hands, I looked up at his face shyly. "Want to come in? Or do you still need to pack?"

He looked at the dark, empty house for a moment and then back out at the night air. "I'm already packed. I might have a few minutes."

He stepped inside with me and I shut the door. Not wanting to wake up the whole house, I quietly led him to the television room downstairs. Flipping on the light switch, I reluctantly dropped his hand. "Want any tea?"

"No that's okay." He said softly. He walked in the room slowly and took a seat on the leather sofa. Looking at me with only very slight emotion on his face, he patted the space beside him. "Sit for a second?"

I sat beside him with all the pretenses of a blushing school girl. I probably looked like a tomato. He looked at me with narrowed eyes, his expression becoming rather heated. Placing a hand on the side of my face, he leaned down and kissed me softly. Returning the kiss, my eyes widened as he slid the tip of his tongue across my bottom lip. Opening my mouth slightly, I shivered as his tongue slipped in.

My skin was on fire as he tangled his tongue with mine, exploring every inch of my mouth. I knotted my fingers in his hair and tried to gain control over my labored breathing. I gasped as I felt him wrap his arms around my waist and lower my back to the couch. He hovered over me, putting his weight on his elbows, and let go of my mouth, only to move his mouth to my neck. He attentive lips had widened to lay a playful bite to my pulse point.

As I let out a little sound, his shoulders stiffened and he froze in place. The room became very silent then, the only sound being my heavy breathing. He pulled his arms out from under me and carefully reached back to untangle my fingers from his hair. He leaned back enough that he was still hovering over me but that his chest or hands weren't touching me whatsoever. His eyes were blazing and he had a slightly bitter smile on his face. "I'm just like my father, aren't I?"

I stared at his face with wide eyes, trying to figure out why he was acting this way suddenly. "Huh? Did I do something wrong?"

His teeth clenched, not even the ghost of a smile left. "No. I did."

Sitting up, I began to feel very awkward. "I don't understand."

He didn't look at me as I tried to get a good look into his eyes. His head stayed downcast, looking at his hands as they folded into fists. "My father came to the school today."

I know. "Why?"

"He was...afraid. He claimed that you were being defiant against your brother since your brother told my father so. My father was afraid you would try and fight everyone on the engagement eventually. Not now, maybe. But in a year or two. When you were able to make your own decisions."

I wanted to say that that wouldn't happen but I truthfully didn't know. In two years when I was standing outside the doors of a chapel, gown on and a crowd of people on the other side of a door, would I stay and follow through or would I do the wise thing? Run like mad. Kyoya was a good match. But I'm afraid that I'll feel trapped on my wedding day. It's a thought that leaves me awake at night. "Why are you bringing this up?" I finally asked.

He finally looked up then, a look of sincerity in his eyes. "I'm sorry. My father asked me to make sure you didn't feel the need to ever break yourself off from my father... I was to seduce you and I almost let my father brainwash me into it..."

I felt a pang in my chest as his words hit home. His father figured I'd stay if I gave myself completely to Kyoya. Even if his father was absolutely cruel, the fact that Kyoya almost went along with it... "Get out." I whispered.

"Avianna, I'm-" He began but I didn't want to hear it.

"I know you're sorry. I don't want to look at you right now. Get out." I glared. He didn't have to be told a third time. Grabbing his bag, he was out of the room and out the front door before I even had the courage to look up. When I did, I was left with an empty room and a very empty feeling.


	15. Truth Or Dare

**I REALLY ENJOYED YOUR REVIEWS. :) IT MADE ME TAKE A STEP BACK AND REALLY THINK OVER MY WORK SO FAR. AND YES, THIS IS THE BIG TRIP CHAPTER. :D THERE WILL BE A LOT GOING ON IN IT SO I HOPE YOU ENJOY IT. :)**

**I WAS SOOOO DISTRACTED WRITING THIS CHAPTER. _ I STARTED WRITING IT YESTERDAY AND IT TOOK ME UNTIL EVENING TIME TO POST IT. ACK! SO SORRY FOR MY NEGLIGENCE! **

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**Chapter 15**

"Was everything alright last night?" Mari asked me as I walked downstairs with my suitcase at five thirty in the morning. "I was a bit worried when you told Mr. Kobayashi you'd be home late."

I nodded tiredly. "Yeah. Just had some club related stuff going on." No need to add that I had a boy in the house who's original goal was to seduce me.

She walked up to me. "You look terrible dear. The bags under your eyes are very heavy looking. Are you sure you feel up to a big trip like this?"

I smiled as best as I could. "Absolutely. I can't wait."

She didn't look convinced. "Let me peel an orange for you for breakfast. The citrus will perk you up."

She went into the kitchen to get one for me while Mr. Kobayashi took my suitcase and the carry-on bag I'd use on the plane out to the car. When I had eaten the orange, Mari seemed satisfied that I wouldn't pass out on my way into the school and allowed me to go.

Last night had been brutal. After Kyoya left, I was barely aware of walking upstairs and getting ready for bed. I spent a good hour packing clothes. I paid enough attention for that at least. When my head hit the pillow, I tried with all my might to resist calling Kyoya. I really tried to fall asleep but it was impossible. It was around one in the morning when I did sleep.

Waking up, I went through the headache thing all over again. After a couple of Tylenol from the medicine cabinet, I was able to dull the pain enough to get ready to leave for the trip. While in the car, on the way to Ouran, all I could think was that I really needed to talk things out with Kyoya. I was so angry while he was there but as soon as he left, all the anger did too...

"We're here Miss. Yukimura." Mr. Kobayashi said softly. He was nice enough to help me get my bags inside. He sat the suitcase on a rolling cart, that was there for people's baggage so no one had to carry their own things, and then handed me my little carry-on bag before leaving.

"Avianna!" Hiro called for me right away. He grabbed a hold of my shoulder and turned me to face him. He was grinning. "This is gonna be awesome, huh?"

"How can you be this cheerful this early in the morning?" I asked and yawned for emphasis.

"I'm just an early riser." He said simply before smiling even wider. I tried my best to look pleased to see him. "Oh, there's my group! Gotta sign in with them!" He yelled before running off.

It wasn't difficult to find Tamaki. He had a way of sticking out. Specifically today because he was wearing a neon yellow shirt that read 'OKINAWAAAAAA!' The other hosts were within a five foot radius of him. When my eyes landed on Kyoya, I had to push back the hysteria. He was sitting on the floor with his head leaning against the wall. He looked dead.

Trying to forget my mixed emotions over last night, I walked up to him timidly. "Kyoya?" I whispered, leaning over him. He didn't respond. "Kyoya." I said a little louder. "Kyoya! Uh... Tamaki's touching your laptop! He's got a cup of coffee near it!"

His eyes shot open and narrowed fiercely. He stood up quickly and clenched his fists. "Tamaki, you're a dead man!" He yelled, causing said blonde to look over with confused puppy eyes.

"What did I do mommy?" He asked before bouncing over and tugging on the sleeve of Kyoya's short sleeved black button up shirt.

He glanced over at the wall where his computer sat in its case and then at me. For just a a fraction of a second, his eyes widened and he look like he wanted to say something. The look left his face and he looked at the floor. He seemed to fall back asleep where he stood. Tamaki tugged on his sleeve again and gave me a sheepish grin.

"Kyoya's not a morning person. It's why we call him the 'low blood pressure demon lord'. Don't cross him. He's been known to throw people across the room." Tamaki's eyes suddenly became big and childlike. "Specifically, he threw me across the room. It hurt too."

"You lived through it, you big oaf." Kyoya mumbled. He tried to straighten himself out but his exhaustion was winning. "And I'd never throw a woman across the room."

Hikaru and Kaoru had been standing near us at the time and chose then to enter the conversation. "You deserved it boss!" Hikaru said with a smirk.

"Yeah! Don't you remember why he did it?" Kaoru asked, his smirk mirroring his twin's. "You literally tried to drag him from the bed."

Tamaki still looked upset. "It hurt though. I had a bruised tailbone for the rest of the month."

I giggled. The sound cause Kyoya to jump a little but he settled down again into his stand up sleep a second later. I eyed a booth the teachers had set up in the foyer. They were serving coffee and many breakfast foods. They even had a few large tables set up so you could sit down to a complete breakfast. I went over and made Kyoya a cup of coffee and brought it back to him.

Shaking his shoulder, I tried to hand it to him. He surprised me by swinging his arm out and grabbing my shoulder. "I can't be responsible for my own actions while in this state. Keep your distance."

Shaking him again, I waited until he was looking at me in shock to thrust the coffee at him. He caught it before it could spill on him. "Here." I said before walking over to the booth with the other hosts to sign up for a group.

Ren and Setsuko arrived a short time later. Setsuko ran right for Tamaki while Ren casually stood beside Kyoya, who was now a little more awake. Though he still seemed slightly irritated, he didn't try to bite Ren's head off when she started up a conversation. He took a sip of the coffee I made him as Ren started to go on and on about something that seemed to hold no interest for him.

"It's just so nice to be able to go on a trip with you, Kyoya." She smiled before linking her arm with his. He seemed too tired to notice. I glared at him and looked away quickly when he glanced in my direction. He can do whatever he wants... When I had the courage to look up again, I saw that he was politely removing his arm from hers.

"Please excuse me Miss. Ren." He said with a bow of the head before giving me a pointed stare. He turned to the side and started to walk in the direction of the lockers. Taking that as my cue, I waited a minute before following him back there.

Walking down the hallway, I was a little tense. Unlike the brightly lit foyer, the locker area was very dark. When I found Kyoya in the very back, I could only make out his silhouette. He waited until I stopped a good three feet from him before speaking. "I'm sorry."

"I know." I tried my best to keep any sort of emotion from my voice but it wasn't easy.

"I don't think you do know the extent of how sorry I am. It was foolish of me to listen to my father... I don't know what I can do to prove myself again." I could barely make out his hands reaching for me.

Walking until I was only a foot from him, I reached forward and gently removed his glasses. Folding them up, I placed them into my jacket pocket. Swinging my hand back, I let it fly forward, making direct contact with the side of his face. The sound of impact echoed through the empty room. I saw his head bow down. "I deserved that. And probably more."

"Probably." Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed his glasses and handed them back to him. He took them and placed them back on. "I don't trust you anymore." I told him sadly, honestly.

"I understand that." He looked at me directly. Or at least I think he is. It's too dark to tell really. "All I'm asking for his time."

I know that it was probably getting very close to time to leave but I had one more thing to say. "Whatever it is that you and I were, whatever our relationship was yesterday, that's gone." For only a while, I hope. I don't know how long it will take to feel the trust I once felt. "We're just friends. Friends and forced intendeds."

"Also understood." I watched his hand reach towards me but he jerked it back right away. I watched him step to the side. "We should get back. The charter buses will leave soon."

Nodding, we both walked back to the foyer. He allowed me to walk back in first, and a minute later, he walked in as well. "Is the group all set?" I asked Tamaki as I approached him.

He nodded. "Yep! All ten of us. Miss. Ren and Miss. Setsuko are already on bus 2. Our chaperone is Mr. Kino."

Mr. Kino wasn't a teacher that I had but I've heard a lot about him from students who did. He was a relaxed teacher in class and even more relaxed outside the classroom. He'd be a lot less uptight than most chaperones would be.

"Let's all get on the buses now everyone!" One of the teachers called. Locating my carry-on bag, I grabbed it and went out to the charter bus.

Ren seemed rather determined to sit beside Kyoya for the trip. She latched onto him and wouldn't let go for anything until they were both sitting next to one another on the bus. Sitting next to Tamaki, I sighed. Tamaki seemed like he really wanted to sit by Haruhi but Haruhi was being horded by the twins, who were both attempting to share a seat. Fortunately, Kyoya had only called in advance for eight to sit in the private room on the plane so I'd not have to worry about Ren at that point.

The bus ride there was enjoyable too. Tamaki kept me preoccupied the entire time with stories about his other trips to Okinawa. He went once with Kyoya back in middle school, once with the whole host club last year and once with his family just this last summer.

"Kyoya used to be even more uptight than he is now! Hard to believe, huh?" he said and smiled. Tamaki's tactless comment earned a wack on the back of the head from Kyoya, who was sitting right behind him.

"Shut up. Let's attempt a few minutes of silence. Try not to talk for the rest of the ride to the airport." Kyoya said, his voice sounding agitated. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that Ren was whispering something to him. I strained my ears to hear.

"People say that nobody in the host club except for Haruhi san have had their first kiss. Is that true Kyoya?" She puckered her lips. "You could... kiss me if you want."

I think I actually might have shot out of my seat if not for Tamaki stretching his arm out to keep me from standing. "I know some of the guests can be handsy but they don't mean to tick anyone off. Most of them anyway." He whispered. "Kyoya isn't going to run off with some other girl just because she's acting that way. Don't worry."

I looked down and blushed. Everyone in the host club seemed to know that there was something going on with Kyoya and I. "I know."

"We've arrived." A teacher at the front of the bus said as he stood up. "Please go right in with your carry-on bags. The tickets are waiting for us at gate G3. Go to the waiting room beside it and sit. Your luggage will be brought in for you."

Tamaki was the first to rise from his seat. With a hand on his hip, he stepped into the isle and pointed towards the airport. "Today... we fly!" Almost every girl on the trip followed him from the bus with lovestruck expressions.

I tried not to focus on the two as we entered the airport and headed for our gate. When we made it to the waiting room, Kyoya seemed really depressed. It was very hard to tell if you didn't know him very well but there was always something about the look in his eyes that told you when he was upset. He sat on the opposite side of the room with Ren and even another one of his guests at either of his sides. When did she show up?

I was stewing in my own anger while our chaperone casually explained the do's and don'ts of the trip. "Hey. I'm your chaperone for the next week. Name's Mr. Kino. You know the drill kiddos. No running off from the group, no buying anything from peddlers, no PDA and above all... Have fun!"

There was a loud cheer from our group. The loudest yells coming from the Tamaki and the twins. Haruhi moved from her spot beside Tamaki and sat by me. "This will be really fun, huh?" She grinned.

"Very." I smiled in return. "Is this your first trip to Okinawa?"

She shook her head. "No. I've been to Okinawa with the hosts. Last year actually. It was fun."

I felt bad that she couldn't swim like the rest of us. Because she was a girl pretending to be a boy, it's not like she could get in a bathing suit and jump right in. She could always wear swim trunks and big t-shirt but after her shirt got wet, it might cause problems.

"Would you both like some shaved ice while we wait?" Tamaki asked Haruhi and me. We both nodded and he ran off to buy some from a vender who was wheeling his cart this way.

"So tell me, what's up with you and Kyoya senpai?" Haruhi asked, making me jump.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that..." She put a finger to her chin. "How do I put it? Yesterday, you two were giving each other those 'I secretly like you' looks but today, you both seem kind of distant. And you two ran off earlier today too. When you both came back, you seemed even more distant."

I was starting to hate how perceptive Haruhi was. Looking down, I glanced at Kyoya through my lashes. "It's nothing."

She looked down at her feet too, her expression thoughtful. "I'd just hate to see Kyoya senpai go back to the way he was. Before you came along, he was really uptight. Never showing any emotion and always keeping a wall of ice between himself and everyone else. He seems to be trying to take that wall down for you. I hate for any of the hosts to be depressed."

I wrung my hands together as I mulled over her words. "I don't want him to go back to being that way either. Things are just a little tense now is all."

Haruhi and I didn't get to finish our talk. Tamaki returned with our shaved ice and we had to eat it quickly before getting up and heading towards the plane. When we walked up the stairs leading to the plane, Kyoya pulled out a golden key card and showed it to the flight attendant. The woman bowed and escorted our group to the very front of first class. Kyoya used the key card to open the door.

"This is where we part ways Miss. Ren." He said politely. She nodded glumly and went to take her regular seat in first class. When she saw that I was walking in with the hosts, her eyes widened in shock before the door closed between us. A line of ten seats were mounted to the wall for us to sit in until the seat belt sign was turned off.

"Haruhiiiiii! Sit by me!" Tamaki called, giving her big puppy dog eyes.

She rolled her eyes. "Sure Tamaki senpai."

The other hosts seemed determined to make me sit next to Kyoya. They each jumped into the seats I attempted to take until I finally gave up and sat at the end, next to said boy. He glanced at me briefly before buckling up and looking off into space.

The room we were in was really nice. It had a leather sofa and two matching loveseats all surrounding a modern, black coffee table. There was a flat screen television mounted to the wall and against the far wall was a desk. It didn't leave much to do except for watching television but at least it was something. The flight was only supposed to last under three hours.

A voice announced over the intercom that we would be taking off soon and that we should all buckle up. A flight attendant walked in briefly to explain safety procedures before leaving us be for the ascent. I clutched the armrests tightly as the plane began to move and finally lift into the air. It took me until we had leveled out in the sky to realize I had latched onto Kyoya arm in the process. When I let go, he pulled back his arm and started to massage his wrist.

I blushed. "Sorry. Did I hurt you?" I asked.

He smiled faintly. It was a nervous smile. "I'm fine."

Kyoya unbuckled his seat belt and stood up with everyone else. Getting up as well, I walked around the room, trying to get used to the uneasiness I felt when in the air. Me and planes would never mix. The twins took claim over one of the loveseats and Mori senpai, Honey senpai, Tamaki and Haruhi took the sofa.

Putting my carry-on bag in the corner of the room, I sat on the available loveseat next to Kyoya. Almost everyone chatted about our destination while Kyoya pulled out his laptop and opened up a few windows. He seemed to be working with some sort of pie chart. "This is vacation." I told him casually. "Most people leave work behind."

"Well, I'm not most people." He said simply before getting right to work on the computer. I sighed, silently agreeing with him. He really isn't like most people. Or any person at all that I've ever met.

"Let's play a game!" The twins said in unison. "The game is truth or dare!"

Tamaki frowned. "What a childish game. Who would want to play that?"

"Oh, I know that game." Haruhi said. "I've been wanting to play it. I'm no chicken."

Tamaki looked at the twins with sudden sparkles in his eyes. "I agree! Let's play!"

I grimaced. Eh... I'm not good at this game. "Uh..."

"It sounds interesting." Kyoya mused. "And I've got the perfect prize for the winner."

"Yeah!" The twins yelled. "What is it?" 

Kyoya did some quick typing on his computer. "A dinner for two at Sen No Taiyō. You're permitted to take anyone you want with you if you go."

"I love that place!" Honey senpai said excitedly. "Don't you, Takashi?"

"Hmm." Mori senpai mumbled.

"Then it's settled." Kyoya said in his professional voice. "We'll play. Traditional rules of course. No chickens. If you don't do the dare, you're out. Final person standing gets the gift certificate. Is everyone playing?"

As much as I hated playing this game, I knew it would be at least a little fun and everyone else would want as many players as possible so I nodded along with everyone else. Kyoya sat his computer aside and waited.

"As king, I have the right to go first!" Tamaki proclaimed. Of course. "Haruhi! Truth or dare?"

She thought for a second. "Truth."

This seemed to deflate Tamaki's hyper spirit. He was probably hoping for a dare. "Um, well... What's the most awful thing you've ever done?"

"I broke a vase worth eight million yen." She said simply, shrugging her shoulders. "Not all the consequences of it were bad but it sure has caused me a lot of trouble. Other than that, I've never broken anything or any rule."

Tamaki seemed upset by the answer but Kyoya put a mark on a sheet of paper under Haruhi's name, showing that she successfully completed her turn. Haruhi looked around the room, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Kyoya senpai."

He seemed slightly surprised to be called upon so soon. "Yes?"

"Truth or dare?"

Kyoya didn't seem capable of chickening out. "Dare."

Just the answer she was looking for. She grinned. "I dare you to order a can of soda and a glass of milk from the flight attendant. Mix them together and drink at least half the glass. If you drink the whole glass, I won't call on you for my next two turns."

Kyoya looked appalled. "Are you joking?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

After a moment of severe hesitation, Kyoya pressed the buzzer and told the attendant that walked in what he needed. We waited for a minute while the order was brought to us. When Kyoya was handed a can of soda and a little bottle of milk, he opened the milk and drank half before pouring half the soda into it. He put the lid back on and shook it up. We all cringed at the brown sludge like stuff the mixture created.

"You know you can back out, right?" I asked, feeling sorry for him.

He opened the cap and surprised us all by drinking the whole thing down without even flinching. When he finished it, he washed it down with the remainder of the can of pop. "Not the worst thing I've ever drank."

"Ewww!" The twins yelled, disturbed expressions on their faces. Those expressions didn't last very long. Soon, they both were sporting huge grins. "Way to go Kyoya!"

Kyoya seemed a tad unsettled but not nauseous like I figured he'd be. He turned to the twins. "Truth or dare Hikaru."

Hikaru gulped. "Kaoru and I count as one." He tried but Kyoya wasn't having that.

"Every person for themselves. No teams." He said with a dark smirk.

Hikaru glared. "Fine! Dare me!"

Kyoya grinned. "I'm going to buzz in the flight attendant. When she comes in, you have to ask her out on a date."

Hikaru looked really angry. "I'd never! What if they tr y to follow me around and make me stick to it?"

Kyoya shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

Hikaru seemed to really be debating. He kept constantly glancing at his twin as he thought. Finally, he leaned back and crossed his arms. "Fine..."

Kyoya leaned over and pressed the buzzer on the side table. A minute later, a young, red headed attendant with freckles on her nose walked in. She bowed. "Can I help you?"

Hikaru blushed and stood up. He leaned his hip on the armrest of the loveseat, right next to the girl. He gave her his most charming host smile. "Bottles of water for everyone would be lovely."

She blushed like a tomato, her skin beginning to match her hair. "Y-yes sir!" She bowed.

"I'm Hikaru. What's your name?" Hikaru asked, laying on the charm very thick. I almost felt sorry for the poor girl. She looked ready to faint.

"I-I'm Mai."

Hikaru leaned in real close. "That's a cute name. So Mai... How would you like to go on a date with me? Say coffee at some place once we land?"

Her face practically exploding in flames. "Oh no! I couldn't ever date an employee! My boss would be so mad..." She looked like she really wanted to say yes. This was a stupid dare. If this girl did say yes, she'd be left all by herself, waiting for Hikaru at a place he'd never show up at.

He shrugged. "Don't think I won't ask again. I'll be back for you Mai."

Little starts were twinkling in her eyes and she wobbled away. "I'll...go get your...uh..."

"Waters?" Hikaru ask.

"Yeah! Yeah, your waters sir." When the door shut, the twins and Tamaki burst out laughing. I glared. Couldn't they have at least waited until she was out of earshot?

"Okay okay!" Hikaru gasped before wiping a tear from his eye. "That was really funny. Did you see how red she got? My turn now. Uh... Avianna senpai. Truth or dare?"

"Um...truth." I cringed as I waited for his response. He seemed to be really thinking this through. After a moment, he smiled widely.

"Alright. Here's your truth. How long have you and Kyoya senpai been dating? Don't try to lie about it. We all know you are."

Of all the questions... I blushed and stammered out my reply. "We really aren't. I promise."

At first, he seemed skeptical. But after a moment, his eyes widened. "You're not lying, are you? Why are you two not dating? Seriously."

I glanced nervously at Kyoya. He was preoccupying himself with writing something in his black notebook, leaving me to my own defenses. As I scrambled around for a reply, Kyoya finally jumped in. "What Miss. Avianna and I choose to do is our business. That also goes for what we choose to not do."

"You can't help her with her truth, Kyoya senpai!" The twins yelled.

"As I recall, you asked her the question and she answered it. You never specified any explanations." Kyoya said before marking a line under my name on the game paper.

I gave him a quiet word of thanks before looking around the room for someone to dare. How about... "Mori senpai. Truth or dare."

Everyone looked incredibly surprised that I chose to call on him. He seemed like an interesting enough selection. He was so quiet and statuesque that it might be funny to see him answer a truth or do a dare. Mori senpai answered in a very monotone voice. "Dare."

I thought really hard. I didn't want to ask him to do a stupid dare. "Uh-"

"I'm bored already." The twins sighed.

Kyoya adjusted his glasses. "Miss. Avianna's dare will determine the winner. Everyone must do her dare."

The twins grinned mischievously. "Yeah! Make it a good one too!"

Suddenly, I got an idea. "I know!" They all leaned in, interested. "I have an app on my phone. A friend of mine from America convinced me to get it. It's the top one hundred worst dares ever. I can put the spinner on random and let it pick one for us. Whatever it is, we all have to do it. Including me."

The twins seemed to really like this one. "Yeah! But no chickens! Everyone has to do this dare!"

When everyone agreed, I put the phone of the coffee table and we all gathered around it. The wheel was so small and the list of dares so big that it was nothing more than chicken scratch. The dare we got would enlarge once the wheel landed on it. Reaching forward, I clicked the spin button and we waited as the wheel spun round and round.

Finally, the wheel landed on...

"Oh my..." Kyoya whispered.

"No way!" The twins yelled.

"Are you serious?" Tamaki asked, his eyes wide.

"The dare is selected. No backing out." Haruhi said, a grin on her face. "It'll be fun."

"Now the only thing we have to decide is who will be who." Honey smiled.

"First off, I choose the time limit." I told them. "Kyoya, what's an appropriate time limit for this dare?"

"I'd say the rest of the day will do."

"All day?" The twins griped.

Kyoya gave them a stern look. "You were all for it a second ago. It's settled. Until sunset tonight, we will each create new personalities. New characters. It must be the complete opposite of how to normally act. You can't break character for a second. If you break character, you're out."

"Oh! Oh!" Honey shouted. "I wanna be really quiet and serious! I wanna dress in dark clothes too!"

Tamaki announced his new personality next. "I'm going to be a school girl!"

"Not that far of a stretch..." Kyoya mumbled and I laughed.

"Well... since I normally dress in drag, I guess I'll wear a really frilly pink dress and act like a ditz. I'll try not to look too girlish in the process. I don't want anyone catching on to my secret." Haruhi grinned.

The twins stood up and went back to back. "For the rest of the day, we're going to pretend we're insane enough that we need to be institutionalized. We'll make up weird stories and make random strangers think we're escaped mental patients."

Honey raised his hand. "I helped Takashi pick one out. He's going to be a talkative poet."

We all looked at Mori senpai in surprise. He cleared his throat. His voice monotone as ever. "Oh give us pleasures in the flowers of today; and give us not to think so far away..." He cut off immediately and went right back to being his silent self.

I had a feeling he wouldn't last long. Kyoya and I had yet to announce ours and I honestly didn't know what to do. The twins had evil glints forming in their eyes. "We have something for you two."

I gulped. "What?"

"Since Haruhi is dressing girlishly..." Hikaru began.

"Then you have to dress up like a boy and act like one." Kaoru finished for him.

"How do I do that?" I asked. "It seems like it isn't specific enough."

"We're not done." Kaoru held up a finger. "We're making it very simple for you. Either you both agree to dress in drag for the rest of the day or..."

Hikaru and Kaoru's grins became even bigger, if that's even possible. "Or?" Kyoya asked. "You're honestly insane if you think I'm going to willingly dress as a girl. I did that one time in club and that's because you blackmailed me. Not today. Not ever again."

The twins seemed to expect this. "Fine with us." They shrugged. "The penalty for not dressing in drag is to..."

Hikaru finished up the dare. "Go the rest of the day pretending to be madly in love newlyweds. Convince strangers and act as gushy as Mr. Kino will allow until the sun sets."

I felt my face heat up several degrees. "You're kidding, right?" I asked, my eyes on Kyoya's face, waiting for his reaction. After a minute, he sighed.

"That's it? That's the creative dare you two had as a backup?"

The twins didn't seem to believe him to be as indifferent as he was acting. "That's the dare. Take it or leave it."

Kyoya looked to me, his expression very cautious. After a moment, I sighed and nodded. "Sure. We'll do it."

The twins put their fists in the air. "Yes!"

I looked at the floor. I was positive that my face was giving away my true feelings. This dare made me nervous. I mean... I know it's a dare but... I don't even know... Before I could get any more panicked, the attendant flitted back in and handed us water. She apologized profusely for the time it took and darted from the room. As soon as the door shut, Kyoya snapped his fingers.

"The dare begins now."


	16. Tamaki Talks To Avianna

**NO EXCUSE WHATSOEVER WILL SUFFICE WHEN I ATTEMPT TO TELL YOU WHY I TOOK SO LONG TO UPDATE. BUT I'LL TRY ANYWAY. WENT TO MY COUSINS' HOUSE FOR FEW DAYS AND I DIDN'T HAVE MY COMPUTER WITH ME. I DID USE MY PHONE TO KEEP UP WITH YOUR REVIEWS AND I EVEN RE READ SOME OF THIS STORY AND ALMOST ALL OF ANOTHER STORY I WROTE TO GET ME BACK INTO THE WRITING SPIRIT. HERE'S CHAPTER SIXTEEN. :)**

**!WARNING: THERE ARE JAPANESE INSULTS! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN, SKIP THE AUTHOR'S NOTES THROUGHOUT! WHEN I USE FIGHT WORDS, I DON'T HOLD BACK!**

**Chapter 16**

To say that people were surprised when we exited the Airport's large gift shop in our new attire for the day was an understatement. Mr. Kino looked like he wanted to say something but in he just raised his hands up slightly instead.

"I don't even want to know." He mumbled.

We really did look like an odd bunch. Honey senpai was dressed up in all black, a stone cold look on his face, Mori senpai was carrying around a book of poetry and was spouting it out at about fifty words a minute. The fifty words was Kyoya's requirement. If he spoke less often then that, he was out. Tamaki was dressed in an actual school girl's uniform and had his shaggy hair pulled to the sides in pigtails, Haruhi was dressed up like Malibu Barbie, the twins had put on dark makeup around their eyes to give them a creepy look and wore around pretend hospital arm bracelets and last but not least, Kyoya and I were joined at the hip.

When I say joined at the hip, I mean that literally. Figuring we'd end up separating at some point, the twins bought a pair of heavy duty handcuffs and snapped them to one of the belt loops on both our hips. Each twin kept a key. The twins had originally wanted us to play the newlyweds act but after some negotiation, they agreed on the fiance act. Even worse... After a lot of coaxing, arguing and even threatening, we both agreed to the new terms. Kyoya had wrapped an arm around my waist and was braving the looks we were getting from the students who happened to be guests as well.

"Kyoya senpai? Um... What are you doing?" Ren asked directly, not hiding her shock whatsoever.

Looking at the twins sullenly, he turned to Ren and smiled brightly. I don't think anyone missed the vein popping from his forehead. "Just spending some time with my fiance. Have you met Avianna?"

Ren's face was priceless. "F-fiance?"

"Fiance?" The other girl who had been grabbing onto Kyoya at the other airport asked.

"K-Kyoya says that this girl is his fiance." Ren stuttered.

The other girl's eyes popped open. "Since when?"

Kyoya's resolve was wavering quickly. "Not for very long." I said and leaned my head on his shoulder while carefully mouthing the words 'it's a joke' to them. I really hope they read lips. The twins seemed preoccupied with making some of the girls believe they'd snapped and gone crazy so they didn't catch me breaking character.

"If you'll excuse us, we need to go collect our bags. Let's go honey." As soon as we were completely out of earshot of anyone, his expression became livid. "If it's the last thing I do, those twins will pay."

I sighed and popped him lightly in the nose with the back of my hand. "Try not to do it while I'm handcuffed to your pants. I don't want in the middle of it 'darling'." I said the last part with heavy sarcasm.

He smirked. "Not that nickname."

"Would you prefer 'lord of all that is evil before eight in the morning'?" I tried, starting to have fun with the dare. He ignored that and helped me retrieve my baggage.

It wasn't easy carrying off setting heavy luggage while joined together. We had to wrap our free arms around eachother's waists to keep from slamming into eachother when we walked. While we all walked out to the local charter buses that would take us to the hotel, I watched in amusement as Tamaki started to talk very girlishly with a few of his guests.

"And then after that, we can go shopping! Won't that be fun ladies?"

The girls giggled. "You're so silly Tamaki!"

It wasn't really fair. Everyone else had dares that wouldn't cause life altering rumors. The twins kept a very close eye on us so we had no choice but to play the overly enthusiastic couple. Neither of us were very good about expressing emotions publicly but we did our best.

Once at the hotel, we were faced with our first problem. Room assignments. Mr. Kino didn't pay very much attention at all so I could probably get away with sharing a room with Haruhi if she kept up the girl facade. Haruhi told me that Mr. Kino had never met her before so he's never seen her in the male uniform. If we crossed our fingers, I wouldn't be forced to share a room with Ren and Setsuko like Kyoya said I'd probably have to.

At the main entrance, I heard the hotel manager explain to our chaperones that the entire seventh floor had been cleared for us. Mr. Kino took us to the front and went to get rooms for us. "Alright. I'm going to take roll. If I call your name and your a girl, stand to my left, if I call your name and you're a boy, stand to my right."

Mr. Kino went down the list of names. When he called Haruhi's name, Haruhi jumped to the left. Mr. Kino eyed her. "You trying to be funny?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. I'm a girl sir." She did an awkward curtsey for emphasis.

He seemed to look at her all over again. "I could have sworn I saw you dressed as a boy earlier..."

Haruhi went as far as to dig her student I.D. card from her bag and hand it to Mr. Kino. "Here sir." It showed her gender and had a picture of her dressed as a girl. I gave her a very grateful look. Mr. Kino believed her now. He apologized for assuming, his expression sort of nervous. Handing the card back to her, he roomed Haruhi and I together upon our request.

"You two will be... disconnecting before bed, right?" Mr. Kino asked, pointing at the cuffs on our belt loops. We nodded and blushed.

Accepting our key cards, we all headed for the elevator. When the eight of us were closed in one, Kyoya turned to us all. "Just try your best not to tell anyone you're sharing a room." Kyoya told us. "One word slips of it and we'll have some serious problems. Allow me to escort you to your room Avi dear." He said with faux politeness, the twins heavy stares had caused him to jump back into character.

The name sent a jolt through me. It wasn't pleasant at all. As the elevator opened and we walked in the directions of our rooms, I looked down. "Please don't call me that..." I whispered.

"Call you what?" He asked, his dark eyes on my face. Before I could respond, I caught sight of a red faced Honey senpai. He looked like he was about to explode.

"AHH!" He screamed suddenly. "I can't take it anymore! I can't just stand here and be quiet! I want noise! I was cake! AND I WANT OOSA CHAN!"

As if by Magic, Mori senpai suddenly produced Oosa chan and handed the stuffed rabbit to Honey senpai. Now that I was focusing on the two, I noticed that Mori senpai had been very quiet. "Mori senpai, I think you lost." I told him.

He nodded. "Gladly."

Kyoya brought out his notebook and put a couple marks in it. "Two down. Six to go. Our group is going into town to do some sight seeing in half an hour. We'll really need to amp it up then."

Tamaki giggled and lifted a leg in the air behind him. "Agreed! So let's do our best!"

"Tamaki." I called him over and reached for Haruhi's little pink purse. Digging in it, I located a tube of bright pink lipstick. "For effect."

He seemed really reluctant but, after the twins held him down, I was able to put it on his lips. The completed look was priceless. I laughed. "Lookin' good boss!" The twins said with a big thumbs up.

"Start acting like your characters or you're out!" Honey senpai said. "I get to be the referee now!" For emphasis, he had a little pink whistle around his neck. "If I blow the whistle, it means one of you are out!"

We all nodded, ready to really stick to our characters. After locating our rooms and placing our baggage inside of them, we locked them up and went downstairs to meet Mr. Kino for sight seeing. When we had all gathered around, he brought one of those microphones that was hooked to a recording system on his hip.

"Alright kiddos! Our first stop is the Kokusai Dori! We have a trollie waiting for our group outside! We'll be sharing it with another group!"

Ren looked extremely angry as we exited the hotel and I began to worry that she'd end up flipping out like Megumi. Something about the way she glared really did remind me of Megumi. The way their mouths were shaped and even the shade of their eyes was too similar.

Kyoya was extremely affectionate during the day. If he wasn't running his fingers through my hair, he was leaning down and kissed the top of my head. Even if it was pretend, I couldn't stop myself from blushing at all. As we hit a particularly crowded street Mr. Kino turned on his mini microphone. "The Kokusai Dori is a strip of road measuring 1.6 km that is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, department stores and hotels."

As the tour went on, the twins became exceptionally dramatic in their game. Hikaru even went as far as to make death threats towards his brother. "It was your idea to escape! If not for you, I'd be safe and sound at the institution, not fearing for my life every day!" Kaoru yelled.

"For the last time! You aren't in any danger! Now shut up or I'll silence you...permanently..." Hikaru said dangerously.

"Hikaru! Kaoru! Separate!" Mr. Kino told them, his 'no nonsense voice' taking effect. "Whatever game you two are playing needs to stop. You're scaring people."

The twins toned their characters down considerably after that. As if Tamaki felt outstaged by their earlier scene, he took it upon himself to amp his character up. Randomly, he began to wail as if he had just been stabbed. A ton of his guests left their seat and crowded around him.

"Tamaki senpai! Are you okay?" Several asked.

He sniffed, his hand around his left index finger. "It's just so tragic, I can't even say it..."

"Are you hurt?" One asked.

He sniffed again. "I...I broke a nail!" And then his wailing went about five decibels higher. Covering my ears, I tried with all my might to focus on the scenery and not on his scene.

"I think some of the hosts are taking this challenge a little too seriously." I whispered to Kyoya.

He smirked and ran his fingers down my spine subtly. Sometimes, I really think he's taking the challenge too seriously as well "We are The Host Club. We strive ourselves on authenticity, no matter the costs."

"Obviously..." Carefully pulling my hand away from his, I turned towards the window and tried my best to fight off the approaching headache.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and I looked at him out of the corner of my eye. His emotion mask was partially taken down. He gave me a sheepish look. "I'm sorry. We can bow out if you want."

I shook my head and glared out the window. "The damage is done. We won't even finish the time before the gala before the whole school knows about it." I said bitingly.

I felt the hand on my shoulder flinch but I didn't apologize for my tone or even look in his direction. When we made it to the end of the strip, which was about a mile long, the trolley stopped.

Mr. Kino pulled his microphone out. "Alright kiddies! Will my group and Mrs. Hono's group please stand? We're combining forces for the day! We've arrived at our destination! You are free to go and explore the strip but don't go any further! Shop, look round, get some lunch! Meet back at the trolley stop at two and then we'll head to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium!"

Mr. Kino opened the gate to the big trollie and both my group and the other group exited in front of a very large souvenir shop. Several group members went right into it, including Kyoya and I. Kyoya was still looking a little tense over our confrontation earlier. Several times, he looked like he was about to say something, but each time, someone would run in our direction, causing him to crawl back in his metaphorical shell.

We did our best to stay away from the theatrical twins. Other than being joined together for the time being, we hadn't done or said one thing to keep ourselves in the challenge since midway through the trollie ride. When the twins finally did find us, Kyoya wrapped an arm around me until they walked off. As soon as they were out of sight, he dropped his arm and pulled as far away as the handcuffs would allow.

At one point, I thought I heard Ren and a couple other girls talking to the twins about why we were cuffed together. Walking partway around a stand with Kyoya, I listened in while he looked at postcards. When the twins explained it was to embarrass us since we were together, Ren slyly asked if she could hold onto one of the keys for a moment. The keys were on chains around the necks of each twin and you could tell by the way the girls eyed them that they really wanted to get their hands on one.

The second Ren reached forward and snatched a key, I ran in the opposite direction, dragging Kyoya with me. I heard the snap of the chain as Ren broke it right off Hikaru's neck. I heard the twins yell after her but I didn't turn around to see if they got it back. Leaving the store, I drug Kyoya down the strip. I knew Ren was up to no good.

"Slow down!" Kyoya demanded and stood still, holding his ground. When I tried to run off again, I couldn't budge him.

I sighed and stopped fighting him. "Walk into this store with me." I said without looking at him. After a moment, He began to walk for the door of the large store. He opened it and we walked in together.

Once we were a decent ways into it, he stopped us at an empty back isle where they sold pillows and turned to me. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he made me face him. "What's gotten into you?"

Unfortunately, I felt a blush creep up on my face. Why was I running? Did it matter too awful much if Ren was successful in unhooking me from Kyoya? We're friends, not anything else. I don't even consider us engaged. Not until next month. Once, Kyoya's father let that cat out of the bag, I'd be stuck. I understood that. Until then, I was free to do as I pleased.

I could even date, right? I shook my head. Bad idea. Even if I was interested in somebody enough to date them, I knew that would only hurt me. Maybe the guy too. In a month's time, I'd probably start feeling attached and then it would be painful to have to break up with them and confess I had been betrothed from the beginning.

Kyoya was still waiting for my response. As he stared me down, I shifted and averted my eyes. "Sorry. Just a little keyed up today." Ironically, Ren chose that time to run towards us, the silver key in hand. She was about fifty feet away. "Do you want to get unhooked from me? I can make that happen without ripping the belt loops."

He raised an eyebrow. "How?"

I pointed towards Ren. "Just stand here and let her use the key she stole from Hikaru."

"Kyoya senpai!" Ren grinned and skidded to a stop about ten feet from us. She bowed formally and smiled brightly. "I need to talk to you privately." She held the key up, willing to hand it over if he wished for it.

Kyoya eyed her and then me carefully. He was weighing his options. He didn't look like he particularly wanted to go off and talk to Ren but he did seem tense and probably felt as awkward as I did about the whole 'joined together' thing.

He seemed to really be looking for my reaction to it. I looked at the ground, my hands clasped together. I wasn't going to influence his decision. It wasn't my place to tell him what I preferred. He'd just have to do whatever he felt like doing and I'd just have to run off as soon as the cuffs were taken from us.

Reaching his hand out, he waited for her to place the key in it. She walked forward confidently and handed it to him. Instead of unlocking the handcuffs, he placed the key in his pocket and gave her a bow. "I'm sorry but I actually like this arrangement. If you have anything to say, please say it with her present."

Neither Ren nor I expected this response. He took a small, careful step towards me and waited for her to speak. She seemed to be losing her will. Eventually, she settled for glaring. At me. "My friends and I want to know what the heck you're thinking. Why are you always spending all your time with this... with _koitsu yariman_!" Even though her dagger eyes were on me, I knew the question was directed at Kyoya.

**(A/N: The words 'koitsu' and 'yariman' are Japanese insults. It's extremely degrading. The word 'koitsu' is a very rude way of saying 'this' or 'that' and the word 'yariman' means slut. So Ren just said 'Why are you always spending all your time with this... with 'that slut'?)**

Kyoya's face slowly hardened to show a nearly emotionless but nonetheless menacing mask. The way the ceiling lights caused a glare on his glasses, hiding his eyes, made it all the more terrifying. "Who I choose to spend my time with is none of your concern." Kyoya said darkly. Nobody missed the ice in his tone. Ren slightly cowered. Kyoya's 'no nonsense' tone was frightening.

Ren took a couple steps back, a war seeming to go on in her head. She went back in forth between glaring at me and looking at Kyoya with wary eyes. "Megumi was right! You're a bewitcher! You're stealing all the hosts!" She finally screamed at me.

I glared back, losing my cool. "No, I'm not!"

"Then what do you call it? You never leave them alone!"

"It's called making friends! Maybe if you stopped fawning over them and tried to really get to know them, you could do the same! It was a big joke anyway! Kyoya and I aren't engaged!"

She screeched. "Why can't you leave everyone alone! Ever since you came to America, you've done nothing but make people hate you! _Kutabare_!"

**(A/N: 'Kutabare means 'go to hell' or 'drop dead'. Another Japanese insult.)**

That did it. "You're only freaking out like this because you're obsessed with Kyoya! If I left him alone and only talked to the other hosts, you'd be thrilled! You don't care about anything but your own personal gain in this!"

Kyoya actually had to latch onto my waist to keep me from marching up to her and starting a fight. The hosts and several guests chose then to run over then. Tamaki tried to step up and latch onto Ren. She looked like she was out for blood. She screamed and tried to bite Tamaki to get free. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! Go away! Kutabare!"

"You're jealous! Take my advice! Leave Kyoya and I be or I'm going to do a lot more than have a verbal argument with you!" I warned her.

"I'd like to see you try _busu ljiwaru!_" She yelled, causing the whole crowd to gasp.

**(A/N: 'busu' means fat and 'ljiwaru' is the only form of word I could find to mean the 'B' word. I don't like using the word directly so I won't write it. D:)**

"That tears it!" I yelled and broke free of Kyoya's grasp at the same time she broke free of Tamaki's. I heard one of our belt loops tear, separating us. We lunged at eachother and began to slap and kick the crap out of eachother. Tripping, we continued the rest of the fight on the ground. She had me pinned down, her eyes looking like she wanted to grab a nearby pillow and smother me to death.

"I'll kill you!" She screamed over and over, trying to get a good grip on my neck. Just as she actually began to choke me, she was drug off.

"That's enough!" Mr. Kino yelled, causing the whole crowd to become very silent. I laid there gasping, trying to get the air back in my lungs. Mr. Kino glared at Ren and then at me. "What is wrong with you two? I let you walk off on your own for just a little bit of time and I find you trying to kill eachother!"

He pushed Ren away from him. She caught herself on the edge of a shelf before she could fall. "You're not a bunch of delinquents that can go around causing trouble like this!" He continued. "You're the daughters of important people! What you do will make society look to your parents and they will take the blame! I don't ever want to see a fight like that again or you both will go home right now! And if I ever see you try to strangle someone again, I'll call the police Ren!"

Sitting up carefully, I looked at the floor. I had begun to cry. How on earth did I let her get to me that way? Fighting was NEVER the answer. Didn't I promise my father I'd not fight no matter what? Wiping away the tears quickly, I apologized softly to both Mr. Kino and Ren. Ren looked down too and apologized as well.

Mr. Kino broke the crowd up and everyone went in opposite directions, including Ren. When only the host club remained, I apologized to them too for making a scene. They all looked a little surprised. None spoke a word. Looking behind me, I saw Kyoya leaning over me in a protective stance. His eyes were very worried looking. He reached forward and touched my neck where Ren had put pressure earlier. I was surprised to see a small crack on the left lens of his glasses and a red mark on his cheek.

"What happened?" I asked, eyes wide.

He chuckled very softly. "Remind me never to try to get in the middle of one of your fights again. You elbowed me in the face."

I put my face in my hands, mortified. "I am so sorry!"

As if my apology was the funniest thing they ever heard, the twins broke into side splitting laughter. Tears streaming down their faces, they held their sides and laughed maniacally. "I wasn't sure if laughing was alright!" Hikaru said, gasping for breath.

"But it was just too funny! Your face!" Kaoru finished. "You looked like an ax murderer during that fight!"

Haruhi stepped forward, her expression irritated. "Stop laughing at her. Can't you tell she's shook up?" Haruhi reached forward and held out a hand. I accepted it and she helped me stand up. I hadn't even been standing for two seconds when I began to fall backward. Kyoya caught me as my head began to spin.

"Dizzy..." I mumbled.

"I would think so." Kyoya mumbled. "She hit you in the face and the head five times. You've got red marks going up both sides."

Reaching up, I touched the tender flesh and flinched. "Crap..."

"Maybe you need something to eat." Tamaki said thoughtfully, the girl act broken. "There's a restaurant next door we could eat at."

Kyoya looked me in the eyes for a second. "Do you feel like you need to go to the hospital? Your eyes don't look dilated and I don't think she hit you hard enough to cause a concussion but just in case..."

I shook my head, already starting to feel better. "I'm fine. Really. Let's go get something to eat."

Kyoya didn't seem convinced at all. After he took the key and took the cuffs from my belt loop, he put an arm around me and escorted me from the store. I guess I ripped the cuffs from his belt loop earlier. As we were exiting the store, I didn't miss the evil grin Ren gave me as I passed by her. I gulped and tried to convince myself that I just imaged that malicious glint in her blackened eye. She looked even worse than I felt. As I passed by the reflective window of the restaurant, I didn't see any lasting marks.

At the restaurant next door, the twins both patted me on the back and congratulated me on the fight. Kyoya had pulled his notebook back out and was writing something down. "Well, it appears we all broke character. We all lost. I guess we'll need to find some other game to play."

The twins' eyes widened as they remembered the dare game. Both Tamaki and Haruhi looked down at their clothes and grimaced. "You mean we can change?" They both asked.

When Kyoya nodded, the two wasted no time in picking up their giant purses and digging out a change of clothes. They left for the restrooms and returned five minutes later in their normal clothes. Haruhi had changed back into her jeans and band t-shirt but had kept the pink headband in her hair, trying to look a little girlish for the skeptical Mr. Kino.

"What would you all like? My treat." Tamaki said generously and picked up a menu. This was the same type of Japanese restaurant my mom and I would get to go to maybe once a year on my birthday but Tamaki couldn't help but marvel at how 'low' the prices were. "Order anything you want!" He offered.

Kyoya seemed particularly fascinated with the spicy items on the menu. He'd make a casual comment or two about a few of them and eventually decided on one that the waitress claimed would burn his mouth off.

"Desserts on us since the boss has lunch covered!" The twins yelled. They began to smirk. "We gotta treat the little rebel to cake."

I blushed. "It's not like I won."

"I wouldn't say that." Hikaru grinned. "You gave her a pretty nasty shiner."

"Let's just not make a habit of it." Kyoya said casually. "Having you sent home early would disappoint everyone."

I smiled at each host. It was really nice to know they all accepted me. I really did enjoy their company. Never a dull moment. When our food arrived, we all dug in, the fight all but forgotten. Kyoya ate his 'burn your mouth off' food without even flinching. When he saw me eying it, he picked up one of the pieces with his chopsticks and brought it to my mouth.

"Try it."

I blushed and opened my mouth, allowing him to place it inside. I chewed thoughtfully. Not overly spicy the way I thought it would be. It had a good zing to it that livened up your taste buds. I decided that I liked it. "Really good."

"That waitress must be a sissy." Hikaru mumbled and laughed at his own comment. As we finished up our meal and the desserts were brought out, Kyoya passed up their offers of different sorts of sweets and settled for a cup of warm tea.

It was easy to just get caught up in being near him. Forget all about what he did and just look at the things he was doing now. The way he was gazing down at his teacup, the look in his eyes, the way he seemed let part of his guard down but never seemed to completely relax. Or even the things he did a short time ago. The way he was affectionate during the dare, the way he refused to remove the cuffs and go to talk to Ren alone, the way he defended me when she began to criticize me or even the way he was protectively leaning over me as soon as he could get himself over to me.

I wasn't paying much attention during the fight to anyone but Ren so I didn't know how long he was trying to pry us apart but when I did look at him, he looked extremely worried. The look had made me feel warm all over at the time. Looking at him now as he took a sip of his tea, I really wanted him. To kiss him, to be possessed by him. I sighed and placed my head in my hands. I guess it didn't matter if we were over or not. Feelings don't just go away when you tell them to.

Looking up quickly, I tried to put a smile on my face and pretend nothing was wrong at all. The twins were discussing possible options for future games. Tamaki was vetoing them all because each had something or other to do with Haruhi. When the bill had been paid for, we all exited and went to do a little more shopping before we'd have to get on the trollie and leave.

For some reason or other, the twins were effectively distracting Kyoya. They were claiming to have something really cool to show him in the store and drug him off. Haruhi, was literally carried off by Mori senpai with Honey senpai in tow, leaving me to walk beside Tamaki. I gave him a weird look.

"Uh..."

"I asked them to." He explained simply and shrugged his shoulders. He paused to casually browse through a rack of clothing, his eyes on a t-shirt with a picture of a golden retriever on it. He smiled happily. "This looks like my dog! Antoinette!"

When he continued to look around without speaking, I got a little impatient. "Is there a specific reason you asked everyone to distract Kyoya?"

He nodded and smiled serenely. "You and Kyoya are engaged, right?"

I bit my tongue in surprise. "Uh..."

"He told me. You don't have to lie about it. It's pretty obvious. He isn't the type to give attention to just anyone. The second he said that his father would want you around him, I knew what he meant. I've been engaged before. It was canceled but I know how it works. My father and grandmother started to ask me to spend extra time with her and all that."

Mulling over his words, I found the sense in it. Tamaki was Kyoya's best friend. "Does any of the other hosts know?"

He shook his head. "Nope. But it's pretty obvious. Won't be long before they do."

I raised an eyebrow. "I get why you had the other hosts run off but why did Kyoya have to leave."

He seemed a little shy all of a sudden. "Well... I'm a little worried. About you two." I waited for him to continue. "He's usually very reserved. I get that more than anyone. I was his first real friend. He's the 'mommy' to the host club family so we all worry about the decisions he and all the hosts make. Since he's been around you, he's been different. He's less... what's the word I'm looking for..."

"Less 'get out of my face, I hate the word'?" I asked, remembering the frigid attitude he had on the first day I met him.

He grinned. "Precisely."

I absent-mindedly ran my fingers over a silky scarf on a nearby display table, my mind playing through the conversation Tamaki and I were just having and the conversation I had with Haruhi earlier today at the airport we left from.

"I really don't understand why you all feel the need to run up and discuss this with me. Do you worry that I'll hurt him?"

Tamaki shook his head quickly, reminding me of the golden retriever on the shirt he had looked at. "Not at all! Really. We know you're good for him. Who else but the most capable person alive can make him willingly open up?"

"Can't you all do that too? You said it yourself. The host club is a family."

Tamaki looked at the ground, thoughtful. "Well... it's not the same. Kyoya is Kyoya, no matter who's around. Even when it's just the host club, he's always putting the walls up. He's the type to never do anything unless he has something to gain from it. He must not see any reason to take the walls down around us. He's more relaxed though. It's not a noticeable difference to a lot of people but to me, it's very obvious. I've seen the way he is around his father when he's frightened..."

I remembered the fight I listened in on the other day. I didn't know it at the time but I know now that Kyoya's father had asked his son to make sure I didn't want to just run off by seducing me into staying. It's not always an affective tactic but Mr. Ootori seemed so certain of the ploy. Kyoya hadn't been frightened of his father then. Not at first. But the tone his father eventually began to use was so... cold... Kyoya jumped right to attention and actually almost listened to his father.

"His dad is a real creep." I muttered. "I don't get why he listens to him. He seems too independent to follow orders when they're given by him."

Tamaki had actually picked up the golden retriever shirt and began to carry it to the checkout counter near us. When we had taken our place in line, Tamaki spoke again. "Kyoya's father is a source of great fear. For Kyoya, I mean. It's not exactly something he wants to bring up. I wouldn't be surprised if he never told you for as long as he lives."

"Why?" I asked, trying to think of a reason other than... "He abused him, didn't he?" I said softly, mindful of the other people near us.

"Used to, yes." Tamaki didn't hesitate to confess. "When he was young. I hadn't met him yet when it was happening and it took years to get the information out of him. When he finally told me... It explained everything. The wall of ice isn't just something he consciously puts up. It's a defense mechanism."

I flinched. Just the idea of Yoshio Ootori reaching out and striking Kyoya was unsettling. "It's probably why he hasn't left yet." I guessed. "He's scared to run. If he fails and is taken back home, he'll have to answer to his father."

Tamaki nodded as he handed the shirt to the overly flirtatious checkout girl. He didn't see a problem with flirting back for a second before turning back to me. So much for being infatuated with Haruhi. "Yoshio Ootori was able to keep up his nice guy facade pretty well until last year." Tamaki told me casually as we exited the store together and took a seat on a nearby bench.

"What happened last year?"

"The host club was having a big event for the Ouran Festival. All the parents were invited as well as the students. When Kyoya's father showed up, he confronted his son and, when Kyoya tried to explain what the host club is and what we do, Yoshio reached out and smacked him so hard his glasses flew off. It shocked everyone. Haruhi was so mad, she told Kyoya's father off."

I glared at the ground. "Why is his father that way?"

"He's always been a drunk. It's his stress reliever. It makes him violent and irrational." It wasn't Tamaki who said this. Turning around, I saw Kyoya standing a foot away from the bench. "Why exactly are you telling her all this Tamaki?" Kyoya's glasses began to glare over, making his expression unreadable.

Tamaki laughed awkwardly. "Thought the twins would do a better job of keeping you away."

The corners of his lips turned down. "So did I. Though I don't see how they thought sneaking into the women's dressing room of the department store would be entertaining for me. They're all still there. Won't be long at all before security catches up with them."

I gave him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. If there was something he said that you didn't want me to know-"

"Whatever he told you, I'm fine with it." He said casually before offering his hand to me. Accepting it, I allowed him to pull me to my feet. "Unless... You happened to tell her something extremely personal..." He trailed off, giving Tamaki a frightening glare.

Being as dense as he was, Tamaki just smiled. "You mean like telling her about the time you and I stole that bottle of whiskey from your father's mini bar back in middle school and after your fifth glass, you got up and started to mock your father?"

Kyoya's eyes narrowed. "It was your idea. Never bring it up again. You promised you wouldn't."

Tamaki wasn't deterred. His grin only broadened. "And then when that new young maid came in to offer us some ice water, you-"

"Not. A. Word." Each word was spoken with such ice, Tamaki instantly shut up.

I looked at Kyoya, slightly curious, slightly jealous. "What exactly did you do?" I asked and he winced.

"Please don't ask." He said softly and I got the picture that whatever happened was either very awful or very embarrassing. Judging by the grin that was slowly beginning to appear again on Tamaki, I assumed it was embarrassing.

Tamaki must have a death wish or something because he quickly told me the end of the story. "When the maid walked in, he pretending to be his father and then he said-"

"Tamaki!" Kyoya yelled, getting the attention of several passerby's. "Shut up!"

Tamaki only waited for Kyoya to stop talking before speaking again. "He said 'Come into my office Miss Kiri! I've been meaning to take a mistress for a while. Lay yourself on the desk over here and let my partner and I examine you. See if you fit the bill.'. Miss. Kiri actually accepted his offer too! I had to lock her out of the room to keep her off Kyoya!" Tamaki doubled over in laughter, completely unaware of the anger rolling off his best friend.

"5." Kyoya said evenly, his tone polite. For whatever reason, Tamaki stopped laughing and tensed. "4." The smile that appeared on Kyoya's face was so kind, you'd think he were in the best mood ever. "3." Tamaki stood up straight, his eyes very frightened.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, his eyes big as saucers.

"2." Kyoya reached over and took an umbrella away from a woman before handing her what looked like a five thousand yen bill in return. He swung it back like a baseball bat, his shoulders tensing in preparation for what looked like it was going to be a very hard swing.

Tamaki was bouncing on his heals, in too much panic to run. "Come on! I was just trying to tell a funny story!"

The smile completely dropped from Kyoya's face. "1." The umbrella swung forward, making direct contact.

**:D:D:D**


	17. More than Twenty?

**I LOVED THE REVIEW I RECEIVED FOR THE LAST CHAPTER. XD NOT EVEN HALF AN HOUR AFTER I POSTED IT TOO.**

**I STILL AM SORRY ABOUT NOT UPDATING FOR ABOUT FIVE OR SO DAYS. I WAS AT MY LIL COUSINS' HOUSE AND I ENDED UP ALWAYS GETTING DISTRACTED. TO MAKE UP FOR IT, I POSTED AN EXTRA LONG CHAPTER. :D I ASLOOO WENT TO A FAMILY REUNION WHICH TOOK TWO MORE DAYS. SORRY!**

**DISCLAIMER: SEE CHAPTER ONE.**

**WHILE I WAS WRITING PART OF THIS CHAPTER, I LISTENED TO THE SONG 'PLEASE DON'T GO' BY BARSELONA. IT'S A REALLY SAD SONG. T^T . IT KIND OF FITS THOUGH.**

**!OKAY, SO I'VE NEVER BEEN TO THE OKINAWA CHURAUMI AQUARIUM BUT I WILL PROBABLY GET TO SEE IT PERSONALLY NEXT SUMMER WHEN I GO TO JAPAN. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ANY PART OF IT OTHER THAN THE MAIN TANK LOOKS LIKE AND I'VE ONLY SEEN THAT THROUGH VIDEOS AND PICTURES. SO IF YOU'VE BEEN THERE AND I MENTION RANDOM THINGS THAT AREN'T THERE, I'M SORRY. :/ **

**Chapter 17**

As the host club walked along the sidewalk of Kokusai Dori, Tamaki pressed a slice of raw meat to his eye. A local butcher had saw Kyoya smack him in the eye with the umbrella and kindly offered the poor guy the slice to try and sooth it. Kyoya had apologized for hitting him 'that hard' but never apologized for hitting him in the first place, which was enough for Tamaki apparently.

The twins had been trying for the past few minutes to try and find out why Kyoya hit Tamaki but none, not even Tamaki, would say. In spite of the fact Kyoya had hit him in the face, Tamaki didn't seem too awful upset. He just walked casually beside his best friend, a sheepish grin on his face. Kyoya seemed to be in a lot better mood as well. He had tossed the umbrella into a trash bin outside the department store and seemed content to walk with us all, looking for any stores that we wanted to check out before two.

"Let's go in here!" Tamaki bounced up and down. "This place! This place!"

Glancing in the direction Tamaki was pointing, I saw a pet store. I had no problem looking at the animals but Kyoya grabbed Tamaki by the shirt to keep him from running for it. "Last time you walked in a pet store, you left with a dog. Mr. Kino will kill you if you buy another pet."

Tamaki whined loudly as he was drug past the store. We ended up entering a souvenir shop. "We've got half an hour to shop." Haruhi said, pointing at her little wrist watch. "We need to be back at the trollie stop in forty-five minutes."

Eying the store with determined expressions, we all set out in hopes of finding a good souvenir. I ended up finding a few that interested me. I ended up settling for a small hand painted vase. It was dark red with pink sakura flowers on it and had the words 'MADE IN OKINAWA' hand carved into the clay on the bottom. Paying for it, I put the little bag inside the purse on my shoulder and went outside of the store to wait for the others.

"While I have a real moment alone with you for once today, I'd like to tell you something." Kyoya murmured. I didn't even hear him exit the store. He walked until he was standing beside me and held out his arm for me to take. I was reluctant to accept since I was still uncomfortable around him since the incident the night before the trip but I eventually gave in and linked mine with his. He turned us to the side and began walking in the direction of the trollie stop.

"So...What did you want to say?" I asked when he didn't speak at first.

He looked straight ahead. "I heard some of what Tamaki told you earlier and I want to clear some things up. I don't want you assuming what isn't true since Tamaki didn't exactly get my current opinion on the topic... I'm not afraid of my father. Not anymore. I don't bend to his will unless there's something on the line that I can't let go of."

He paused for a second and glanced at me quickly. So quickly, I wasn't sure if he even did. Instead of focusing on where we were heading, I turned my head completely towards him. Surprisingly, he ducked into a store near us. It was a souvenir shop that was completely empty. He walked us to the very back and paused, his eyes on the little figurine dolls on the shelves.

"I probably don't do a very good job of showing it," He whispered. "and I know I've never said it, but I do care for you Avianna." He paused his eyes tight. Expressing emotion really put him on edge. He turned his head in my direction and smiled at me almost darkly. "If I were to be completely honest with you, I'd have to say that I'm almost possessive of you. I don't like my father trying to push you out of my life."

It took me a second to realize that I wasn't supposed to know about the details of the argument he had with his father. "What do you mean?" I finally said.

He reached forward and didn't retract his hand quickly this time. He lightly ran his fingertips through the part of my bangs that weren't pulled back with my ponytail. "The blackmail he used was to break off the engagement if I didn't comply with his wishes."

Even knowing this ahead of time, hearing him say it still made me wince. Being completely honest with myself, I didn't want to have to be separated from him. I bit my lip, trying to not to think of what his father would say if new got back that his plan had backfired. "Considering the circumstances, will he break the engagement off?"

He shook his head after a moment's thought. "No. I haven't told him that things didn't go according to plan and I don't plan to. But... if you really do wish for the engagement to end, then I will tell my father." He murmured, his eyes trying to read mine. "I won't force you into anything."

Once again, he was giving me the choice. It didn't take me any time at all to come up with my answer. "It'll stay a secret then. For all your father knows, you were successful and things are just perfect..." I trailed off, wishing I had chosen a different way to put it. Perfect was so far from the truth that it hurt.

Whatever he saw in my eyes made him flinch. His lips curled until they were no more than a grim line. "I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you." He whispered.

"I know." I murmured and turned way from him. "We should get going. There isn't much time at all before the trollie leaves." I didn't try to walk off like I wanted to. I waited for him to walk beside me before going to exit the store.

Tamaki and the other hosts were passing by when we exited. He had the steak still pressed to his face. "You know, you two could have waited for us. We ran all over that shop looking for your both."

I apologized while Kyoya just walked ahead. I guess it wasn't in his nature to apologize for anything this simple. Once at the trollie, it was difficult to get seats since we were the last to get on it. I ended up having to sit by a random stranger so that the only available bench could be left for the twins.

The ride to the aquarium was full of awkwardness. The girl I was sitting next to was a Tamaki fan and, since I spent time with the hosts, she figured I could help her get some alone time with Tamaki. I tried my best to brush her off without seeming rude. I didn't want her trying to get a hold of Tamaki. He and Haruhi really needed to be together. Though at the rate he's going, it might take him till graduation to ask her out.

"Alright everyone!" Mr. Kino said through his microphone. We were pulling into a parking lot. "We are now at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium! This aquarium is the second largest in the world! Here we will get to see whale sharks and manta rays among many of the other fish they have! Stay together! Another group will be meeting the two groups we have now!"

As he spoke, another trollie pulled up beside us. I could see Hiro sitting in it. When he saw me, he waved frantically. "Hey!" I waved back reluctantly.

As I stood up, Kyoya casually slid in to my right. "I'm serious. I can talk to him if you want."

I did want Hiro off my back but getting Kyoya to scare him off seemed mean. "He hasn't been causing any problems for me. Once we get back from vacation, it'll be a lot easier to get rid of him."

Kyoya didn't seem convinced but he dropped it for the time being. At the door, we all paid for admission into the aquarium and followed Mr. Kino and the two other chaperones. As we entered a massive room with a tank so large, it was practically frightening, Mr. Kino brought out his microphone. "The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is the second largest aquarium in the world! It's famous for having the world's first and biggest acrylic viewing tank! The tank you see before you is 22.5 meters wide and is currently holding 1,981,290 gallons of water! So if one of those whale sharks gets the mind to swim face first into the glass, it's adios to us!"

Mr. Kino's dark humor fell on deaf ears. We were all entranced at the sight of the majestic animals swimming around. It made me feel very sad. The tank , which seemed so big to me, probably was very small for them. Walking forward, I stood behind the velvet rope. A whale shark swam by slowly, it's large eye on us.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" Tamaki whispered, his eyes wide with childlike wonder. I agreed completely.

"We should go to the underwater tunnel and look at the aquarium from that area." Haruhi said, her eyes on a ramp that led down into it.

We all walked slowly from the main viewing area and walked down the ramp. The tunnel was dimly lit with water waves causing shapes to form on the glass and the floor as it reflected from the tank. Fish swam overhead, casting shadows. Another group entered the tunnel with us, Hiro leading the way. He stood beside me, his eyes on a passing stingray with a yellow back.

"Wow." He mumbled.

Tensing a little, I took a step away from him. Thankfully, Kyoya chose that time to walk to my right and stand between Hiro and myself. "There's a dolphin show going on right now. Want to see it?" He asked, a serene smile on his face.

Nodding gratefully, I followed him from the tunnel and up a big flight of stairs. After a bit of walking through room after room of smaller aquariums, we found a door that led outside to the dolphin show. Taking a seat next to him in the stadium-like seats, we waiting for the show to begin.

It took me until I had spotted a vender selling snacks to notice that Kyoya looked really ticked off. Touching his arm lightly, I gave him a concerned look when he turned his head in my direction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He muttered, the irritated look never leaving his face.

I didn't want him being upset. "Did I do something wrong?"

As if he suddenly noticed that his bad mood was worrying me, he looked at me with wide eyes. "Nothing at all." He adjusted his glasses a second later. "I apologize. I didn't mean to worry you."

I sighed, not feeling very hungry after all. I let the vender pass by without asking for anything. "Why did you look so irritated a minute ago?" I wasn't about to let it pass. His constant hiding of emotions was getting extremely annoying. I gave him a hard stare for emphasis.

He seemed to be taken back by my look. His stare hardened just a little as well. "You don't want to know."

I don't want to know? Yeah right. "Try me."

The irritation began to return to his eyes. Before long, it had taken up his whole face. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. "It's not my place to be possessive of you. But when Hiro looks at you that way, it disgusts me."

His response was unexpected. My expression changed to one of confusion. "What way?"

His eyes became hard as onyx stones. "Like he wants you. The lustful kind of want."

My face heated up as he said this. Now I get it. Jealousy. "It's not like I return the feelings. And why is it that you're angry about that when almost half the girls that walk through the host club's doors give you that same look?"

My answer astonished him. He blinked a couple times, the irritation slowly fading. "No they don-"

"Don't deny it." I interrupted him. "Why do you think Megumi pushed me down the stairs? She wants you and she wants you bad. And the fight with Ren too. So Heaven forbid one guy likes me." I threw my arms in the air for a second, exasperated. Crossing my arms, I leaned back in my seat and faced the front.

"You are so blind." He murmured. It was obvious by how low he said it that he hadn't meant for me to hear. Glaring, I latched onto his arm and stood.

"Conference call!" I said and jerked him to his feet. Leaving the crowded area, I walked until we were at the very back of a room, right next to a tank full of jellyfish. Pushing him until he had his back to the tank, I gave him what I hoped was an intimidating look. "What is that supposed to mean?" I demanded. "Why am I blind?"

His jaw clenched tightly. "It's not just one guy. Our situations are exactly the same if not worse on your part. Since you seemed to not focus on anyone at all on your first day, let me enlighten you. You were the talk of the whole school. Not only for being someone of a lower social standing but also because you're attractive. When I told you that Hiro put your name in the V-list, that was true. What I didn't tell you was than twenty others did as well."

I felt my jaw drop a little. Pulling myself together, I blushed. "Uh..."

Before I could think of a response, he adjusted his glasses and straightened his posture. "Your argument is invalid. Exactly the same, is it not?"

I honestly couldn't think of a thing to say. I knew one thing for sure. It made me extremely uncomfortable to think that over twenty guys actually wanted to... "Don't lie to me to prove your point." I said. "Are you serious?"

He only nodded, his eyes still hidden by the gleam over his glasses. "It doesn't benefit me to lie. I apologize for making you think I lie to you."

I sighed, feeling guilty for some reason. "It was just shocking news is all. I don't think you're a liar. Why are you always apologizing anyway? I realize that some things you need to apologize for but not this. Not some of the other things you do."

He walked up to me until he was only a few inches away. Leaning down to eye level, I could finally see through the lenses. "In most cases, I never apologize for what I do. Only for having the weakness to do it in the first place." He leaned forward and kissed me lightly, stunning me. He pulled away a moment later. "I'm sorry."

He stood to his full height and walked past me, leaving me to blush a brighter pink than the neon colored jellyfish in the tank next to me. Turning around, I was about to run after him when some little kid came running this way. He accidentally plowed right into me, spilling his cup of sofa all over the front of my t-shirt. He jumped back, his eyes wide.

"Sorry lady." Was his only response before running off.

I sighed. Great. What am I supposed to do? Walk around the rest of the day with red sofa spilled down the front of my gray shirt? Grabbing the hem, I pulled it off. I had a black tank top under it anyway. Adjusting the straps, I went back to the dolphin show to look for Kyoya.

When I found him at our earlier seats, he seemed to be in a lot better mood. He sat there calmly as the other hosts went to sit beside him, leaving one seat to his right that I guessed was for me to take. Sliding into the isle, I sat beside him shyly. "Hey."

"Hey." He mumbled and glanced in my direction. A second later, he glanced back. Then glanced again. After the third time, he completely turned his head in my direction. "What happened to your shirt?"

I held up the light blue purse that I had around my neck, draping off my shoulder. "It's in here. Some kid spilled soda on it cause he wasn't watching where he was running."

There was a barely visibly blush forming. He turned his eyes to the front then. "I think you should put it back on."

Looking down, I finally got what he was referring to. This tank top did like to show off a decent amount of cleavage. I tried adjusting the top but it didn't help much. "I really don't want to walk around with a massive red stain on my shirt."

He looked down and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Tamaki, give me your bag."

Said blonde looked up. He held up his shopping bag from the department store and gave it to Kyoya. "Okay?"

Kyoya took the bag and reached inside. He pulled out the retriever shirt and ripped the tag off it before throwing it to me. "Put it on."

I looked a the shirt in dismay. It was so stupid looking. Only Tamaki would ever have a desire to wear it. "Kyoya..."

"Please." He whispered loud enough for only me to hear. I was surprised to say the least. I think that's the first time he's ever actually said 'please' to me instead of just demanding something. I put the shirt on, feeling slightly uncomfortable because it was too big for me.

"Happy?" I said in pretend anger. It really didn't upset me too much. Even if the shirt was ridiculous.

Kyoya didn't say a thing. Tamaki filled what could have been an awkward silence with his chatter about how much he loved dolphins. He demanded that Kyoya buy him a dolphin shirt to replace the one he stole, even after I told Tamaki I'd give his shirt back once we reached the hotel.

Mr. Kino came bustling down the isle a minute later, a popcorn bucket in one hand and a large soda in the other. "Enjoy the aquarium while you're here kiddies. We're going to the hotel after this." He took a seat right in front of us and enjoyed the show with us.

Tamaki tapped him on the shoulder. "What will we be doing tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, we'll spend the whole day on Ishigaki Island. We'll get to scuba dive, go kite surfing and run about the small town there. It'll be great."

I was pleased to hear this. I've always wanted to scuba dive. I said a silent prayer of thanks that I was here and not sitting in a classroom at Ouran. Mr. Kino didn't tell us anything else about his plans, wanting it to be a surprise. No amount of bugging him made him tell.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the aquarium, exploring its many exhibits before all being ushered onto the trollie and taken back to the hotel. Going upstairs with everyone, Haruhi and I went into our shared room and got ready for dinner at the hotel's five star restaurant.

Kyoya and I didn't get to really talk for the rest of the evening. After everyone had eaten, Haruhi and I decided to get ready and go hunt down one of the private hot tubs the hotel said they had. That would give Haruhi a chance to relax in some water without drawing attention to the fact she's a girl. She and I both dug around and located swimming gear. The only bathing suit I had was an old purple one piece I used on occasion in America. It wasn't the most flattering thing but it would do. Haruhi was a little shocked to find a pink, frilly bikini.

"What the heck?" She muttered before giving the two piece a death glare. "I've got two theories. Either my dad packed this or the twins did." She pulled the still hanging price tag off the bottom and looked at it. "Hitachiin brand. The twins..."

I giggled. "You should put it on. The hot tub is private so it'll be fine."

She sighed. "Alright. But I'm buying a pair of swim trunks tomorrow since the ones I packed are missing."

When we were both changed, I wrapped a big fluffy hotel towel around me and Haruhi just threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt to hide under. We made sure we both had a hotel key before locking up and heading downstairs.

"I'm not a big fan of pools, but I enjoy hot tubs." Haruhi said idly as we entered the elevator. "I texted Hikaru and asked if the rest of the guys wanted to go but they claimed that everyone had turned my offer down. The twins said they'd be happy to go though."

When we made it to the massive pool area, Haruhi and I used our room key cards to enter one of the hot tub rooms and switch the sign to 'occupied'. Putting our towels and over clothes on a nearby table, we slid in and enjoyed the warm water. "This is the best." I said. "I knew this vacation would be fun but I didn't think it would give me a chance to relax. I planned for a fuller schedule."

"The school likes to keep the students busy. Gives them something to think about. But if they keep them too busy, they get crabby. Like Kyoya senpai says. It may be a school but it's also a business." She mumbled before practically sliding underwater.

Just as I was beginning to truly relax, we heard footsteps nearing the door. We tensed. Haruhi was wearing her pink bikini. If the wrong person walked in, we'd be toast. She sunk down as low as she could as we listened to someone insert their key card. The door swung open to reveal the twins, all dressed in their matching orange swim trunks. I sighed in relief before splashing water at them.

"You guys scared us!" I yelled. They grinned as they slid in with us, halfhearted apologies falling from their lips. "I wonder why nobody else wanted to come soak."

They began to grin mischievously. "Well... We didn't exactly... tell anyone."

Haruhi glared before leaning back up into a sitting position. "Dorks."

The twins took the time to compliment Haruhi on her excellent bathing suit choice. Giving her the thumbs up, they slid to either of her sides and draped their arms across her shoulders. It was semi awkward. They were way too handsy with her. No wonder Tamaki keeps calling them 'those shady twins'.

"And as far as your bathing suit." Kaoru began, eying my purple one piece.

"It could use some... I don't know, character? Is that the word I'm looking for?" Hikaru said, looking to his twin for his opinion.

"Not that one pieces aren't cute but it kind of looks like you made a swim outfit out of living room curtains." Kaoru said honestly. "Our mom's a fashion designer. We brought about five bathing suits for Haruhi to choose from. You should pick one from the collection too. Or even let us take you to the hotel's gift shop to buy one."

I frowned. "My suit is fine."

The twins raised their hands up. "Ehh..."

Leaning back, I crossed my arms. "What do you suggest?"

They took that chance to give my body a once over with their eyes. "She's got the right curves in the right places. A bit on the thin side though, huh Kaoru?"

"For sure, but so is Haruhi. Her hair and even her complexion is so light that we would probably do good to stick with lighter colors so we don't pale her out too much." Kaoru said like this was some sort of expert challenge.

"But dark colors are good too. Especially jewel tones. Look at those eyes. Like amethyst rocks. If we got her a dark toned bikini-" Hikaru began.

"String bikini." Kaoru added. I blushed.

"Leave her be guys. She's probably no more happy about playing the barbie than I am." Haruhi defended me, giving me the chance to sink into the water and pretend I'm invisible.

"Let us have this one Haruhi." Hikaru told her. "We also need to pick a color that suits her and the shadow king. He's the one that really wants to see her in it. At least, that's our educated guess." He and his twin grinned.

Before I could even move, the twins ran for me and hoisted me from the water. Backing me into a wall, they both randomly pulled sewing tape measures from who knows where and started to try and measure me. I squirmed and tried to fight them off while Haruhi tried to help by dragging them away.

By the time Tamaki, Mori senpai, Honey senpai and Kyoya had found us at the hot tub, one twin had a tape measure around my bust line, one had a tape measure around my hips and Haruhi was glaring daggers at the two from the hot tub that she had jumped into when we heard another key card being entered into the room's lock.

I had my arms crossed, my mood especially sour. I looked right at Kyoya and glared. "Get these two away from me or I'm telling the hotel they sexually harassed me."

He raised an eyebrow, his eyes hardening a little. "Did they?"

I pointed to the twin that had his hands about an inch away from my chest. "Close enough."

Mori senpai thankfully grabbed both twins and pushed them into the hot tub while Kyoya walked over and pulled me away from them. "Leave her be. If you want to play gay fashion designer, do it with a more willing subject."

The twin's eyes twitched at Kyoya's choice of words. "Fine. Haruhi, your turn!"

"Not in a million years!" She yelled and ended up accidentally backing into Tamaki, who was entering the hot tub. He caught her and blushed. Not a single male had a missed the frilly little two piece she was wearing, compliments of the most annoying twins on the planet.

When the two had finally settled down, they chose to push Kyoya out of the way and slide to either side of me. "Don't worry. We'll have the new bathing suit sent to your room after we buy it. We have your exact measurements." They told me, evil glints in their eyes. I gulped.

"Why do I need a new one anyway..." I grumbled.

"Well, this may just be a rumor, but..." Kyoya began. "I did hear the teachers talking about what we'd be doing during the morning and afternoon on the day we leave."

"Tell us!" Everyone ordered.

Kyoya smirked a little. "They don't know themselves since only the chairman has the real schedule. They think that everyone will get to go to Tadake Falls."

There was a chorus of 'oohs' and 'ahs' from anyone except me. "What's Tadake Falls?"

"Tadake Falls in a hardcore nature walk right up a miniature waterfall. It leads to a big waterfall. It's really pretty." Honey senpai grinned. "It's on Yagachi Island. Takashi and I go to it once a year to hike."

I looked back at him, a little wary. "You...hike up a waterfall?"

"It's very safe." Honey senpai assured me. "Besides, the school probably won't let anyone actually hike up the waterfall for safety reasons so we'll all be taken to the waterfall by helicopter." This, at least, was doable. I hate flying in planes and a helicopter is probably worse but I can deal if it means I don't have to take a dangerous hike.

Sliding out from between the twins, I went to relax by Kyoya. He smirked down at me, his eyes on my bathing suit. I sunk down a little in the water. "What?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I like the color."

The twins seemed to hear the magic words. "Color idea!" They yelled and jumped out of the tub. "We'll be in our room!"

As soon as they were gone, I gulped. I don't even want to know what they have planned until I absolutely have to. I felt someone's fingertips trail down the taper of my waist. Looking towards, Kyoya, I saw that he was glancing my way, a smirk on his face. 'I'm sorry.' he mouthed.

I glared. Yeah right. He was taking advantage of this 'weakness' as he called it. Scooting away from him, I stretched out in the spot the twins had occupied earlier. I was so irritated, I didn't even notice the room door open.

"Hey guys! Mind if I join?"


	18. Low Blood Pressure Demon Lord

**I REALLY HOPE YOU ENJOYED THAT LAST CHAPTER. :D YEAH, I KNOW, CLIFFHANGER. COULDN'T RESIST. ONE OF YOU EVEN GUESSED CORRECTLY ON WHO ENTERED THE ROOM. :P**

**DISCLAIMER: SEE CHAPTER ONE.**

**!CHAPTER SONG? I'D HAVE TO SAY 'BREATHING SPACE' BY X-RAY.**

**Chapter 18**

Avianna's POV:

_I was so irritated, I didn't even notice the room door open._

"_Hey guys! Mind if I join?"_

Haruhi darted behind Tamaki's back so fast, you would've thought she had just teleported there. Sinking into the water, I closed my eyes in agitation. What does he want? Hiro didn't even wait for us to give an answer before he walked around and slid into the water between Kyoya and I. He grinned at me.

"Hey. Long time, no see." I said before 'casually' swinging his arms behind him and resting one of the hot tub right above my shoulders. "I love hot tubs."

Nobody spoke at first. We all just looked at eachother in tension. If Haruhi wasn't trying to hard to be invisible, I have a feeling she would've been the one to break the awkward silence. She's good about making heavy atmospheres go away. So it was a surprise to everyone when Kyoya spoke.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, not even trying to hide the irritation in his voice.

Hiro seemed a little offended. "Avianna's my friend too. You can't throw a fit over us talking just because you hate me. It's not like you own her."

That was not the right thing to say to the shadow king. The tendons in his upper arms and even in his neck began to constrict as he fought for control over his anger. "Why don't you ask her what she wants before assuming she wants you here."

Hiro, having no doubts in his 'friendship' with me, turned to me. "Alright. Avianna, if you tell me you want me to go, I really will. No hard feelings. If not, say so. Kyoya's under the impression that you hate my guts or something."

Hate is an emotion I always tried to keep at bay. Dad said it made you ugly inside to harbor strong negative feelings for people. If you disliked them, the best thing to do was get to the point where you didn't care enough for them at all to hate them. I glanced at each of the host club's faces before landing my gaze on Hiro. "I don't want to be drug into your fight. You both can't stand eachother. Fine. But don't make me choose."

I didn't add that if I were forced to choose, I'd probably just walk out and ignore both of them for the rest of the trip. Hiro seemed a little sheepish after what I said. "I see. Sorry. I'll see you later. Maybe we can go scuba diving together."

Hiro got up and wrapped his towel back around his trunks. I didn't look at him at all as I waited for him to go. "Maybe." Was all I said in response.

When I heard the door shut, I didn't make any effort to move back towards Kyoya. I was irritated with Hiro, not Kyoya, so I shouldn't attempt to take that out on him. But as we all sat in the room, the silence just stretched on. I could feel Kyoya's eyes on me as I sat there with my arms crossed. After a few seconds, I sighed and stood up. Exiting the hot tub, I wrapped my towel around me and went to the door with my key card in hand.

"I'll see you when you get back to the room Haruhi. Goodnight." Before anyone could try to convince me to stay, I left as quickly as possible.

When I had exited the elevator on my floor, I felt my skin go cold. Hiro was on this floor, talking with a girl who I've never met before. Wrapping my towel more tightly around me, I walked past them quickly. I hadn't even taken five steps past him before he called my name.

"Avianna! Come here for a sec." Hiro said, waving me over. The girl he was talking to seemed a little miffed. Pulling her Prada bag over her shoulder, she walked into a nearby room, leaving me alone in the hallway with Hiro.

I sort of cringed as he walked over. "Yeah, Hiro?"

He gave me a careful smile, his eyes a little hard from what I guessed to be frustration. "You're upset with me, aren't you? Don't say you aren't. You've been ignoring me for the past few days and you always seem irritated when I show up."

He took a few steps forward a he spoke. For some reason, the look he was giving me made me really uncomfortable. "I'm not upset with you." I said a little unconvincingly.

He shook his head, his eyes getting a little colder. "Will you stop lying? What's got you so freaked out? Kyoya said I was some psycho killer?" When I shook my head, he he sighed. "Then what? Don't want any other guy friends now that Kyoya's giving you special attention? Here's a newsflash for you. He does this all the time with girls. As soon as his daddy tells him to pay attention to someone, he does. The only reason he's friends with Tamaki in the first place is because it's what his dad wants."

I winced. I didn't believe that. Not about Tamaki. Even though the reason they met might be because of that, it certainly didn't mean that's why they were still friends. There was an unspoken bond between the two that you began to notice the more you were around them. And as far as me, he and I were beginning to be friends even before his dad came up with the arranged marriage agreement. We were even talking back when were were assumed to be 'rivals'. "You're the one that's lying, Hiro."

He glared, making me step back. "Why don't you get it? He's a manipulator and you're just one of his pawns. Why can't you see that I like you? I don't have any stupid ulterior motives like he does."

Yes you do. "You're wrong about him Hiro. I'm sorry, but I don't return your feelings."

Even if his original plan was to get me in bed with him, he did seem a little hurt when I said this. "Whatever..." He turned on his heel and walked off, leaving me to stand awkwardly in the hall. Gripping the key card, I walked to my door and opened it.

I took a shower first, wanting to be out by the time Haruhi got back so she could take one too. After I felt completely squeaky clean, I got out and dressed for bed. It was already nine at night. I could spend the next hour or two watching television and then maybe go to bed after that.

When Haruhi got back, she looked a little miffed. She went directly to the bathroom and took a very long shower. I had finished watching two episodes of one of my favorite television shows before she emerged in her pajamas. She sat on the edge of her bed, the sour expression still there.

I looked at her warily, my eyes wide. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing...Kyoya's just in a rotten mood over Hiro showing up and over you storming out. You hadn't been gone five seconds when he brought up the teapot I broke last week and started threatening to create a new debt balance over it."

I glared at the floor. "He shouldn't take it out on you. I was just irritated is all over Hiro showing up so I left. And then I ran into him in the hall..."

I trailed off and she looked up, startled. "What did he say?"

"He confessed to liking me and told me that Kyoya was just using me because that's what his father wants... Which I honestly don't know if that's completely false or not..."

She shook his head. "Don't believe lies like that. Anyone with eyes can see he really cares about you. If he didn't, you'd know."

I wish I could have believed her but there was too much doubt in me. She and I watched one more television show episode before both deciding to go to bed. That night, I dreamed that I was clinging for dear life to a rock at the top of a giant waterfall. Both Kyoya and Hiro were reaching for me but I didn't have any desire to reach for them. So I let go and fell into the water at bone crushing speed.

The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual. Haruhi, who I guessed to be an early riser, was still in bed. I looked at the clock and saw that it was only seven in the morning. Maybe I could get some breakfast. Getting up, I got dressed in a simple white sundress and matching flip flops before putting my hair in pigtail braids and brushing teeth. As I got ready, Haruhi began to wake up and get ready too . I offered to wait for her but she ushered me on ahead. When I deemed myself presentable, I grabbed a key card and put it in one of the little pockets on my dress before going downstairs to locate breakfast.

Halfway down the hall, Tamaki and the twins located me. Tamaki ushered me over, his eyes a little tense. Well, very tense. "We need to ask you a favor." He whispered.

I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of favor?"

They all seemed extremely uneasy as they tried to sort through their words. Finally Hikaru told me. "Well... You know how Kyoya wakes into the low blood pressure demon lord?"

Things were starting to make sense. "Yeah."

Hikaru grimaced. "Well, we all usually take turns waking him up on weekends and during trips. We'd ask Mori senpai or Honey senpai since they're a little more indestructible than us but they're already downstairs, eating breakfast. So... weneedyoutowakehimup."

I blinked. "Come again?"

"Weneedyoutowakehimup." Hikaru said again. His twin smacked him on the back. "We need you to wake him up!"

My eyes nearly bugged out. "You...want me to wake up the man who... threw his best friend across the room?"

They all looked sheepish. Tamaki was the one to explain. "Well, he's a lot more reasonable with you. He probably will wake right up if you try."

They all pointed to the door we were all standing around. "He's in there." Kaoru whispered. If it were anyone else's job to wake him up, it would've been comical. Gulping, I accepted the key card from Tamaki and watched as they all ran for the elevator like cowards.

"See you downstairs!" Tamaki yelled as the elevator's door closed.

Shrugging my shoulders and pulling myself together, I placed the key card into the door shakily and opened it. When I swung the door open, I blushed a little. He was laying with his stomach to the bed nearest to the window, his glasses gone and his hair mussed up. I shut the door quietly and placed the key card on a nearby table, trying to think of how to approach this situation.

How to proceed...My mom would usually just turn on my light and shake my shoulder when I was younger and wouldn't get up for school. Once I got a little older, all she had to do to get me up is call my name. I didn't even need the light on to get right up. I had always been a morning person and it was safe to assume that Kyoya was everything but. Walking up to him carefully, I examined his peaceful face. Seeing him looking so serene and unkempt, even someone with very bad vision could tell he was handsome. Everything from the angles of his face to his toned body made me feel a little feverish. Blushing, I knelt down beside him and reached forward tentatively.

"Kyoya?" I whispered, running my fingertips along his shoulder. He didn't even move. I leaned forward and listened closely for his breathing. He was as still and as silent as the grave when he slept. Leaning back, I shook his shoulder. This time, he actually moved a little. Instead of opening his eyes, he just rolled until he was laying on his back. He faced away from me, seeming to be almost completely undisturbed.

With him now laying on his back with the sheets to his waist, I saw that he was shirtless. Biting my lip, I crawled onto the edge of the bed and leaned over him. "Kyoya, wake up right now. You'll want to be able to eat breakfast before Mr. Kino takes us out for the day."

He sighed but didn't move or speak. I practically growled. What a log. Crawling a little closer, I cautiously leaned over him and spoke in a normal speaking voice. "Up. Now."

Before I could even move, his right hand shot out and made a vice around my arm, right above my elbow. I tried pulling away but he wouldn't let go. He slowly opened his eyes, looking barely conscious. I tried pulling away again but his grip only tightened. "Kyoya, wake up." I demanded. "That hurts."

His grip slowly relaxed until I was able to shake his hand off. I was about to reach over and turn on the lamp on the bedside table when he rolled over to his side. Slinging his arm around my waist, he took me down with him, pinning me down with it. Nearly knocking the breath out of me, I laid on my stomach in shock.

"If you don't get up right now, I'm going to throw your computer out the window." I threatened. His response was to pull my back against his chest with the arm on my waist and hold me against him. I tried for several minutes to fight my way out of his grip. At one point, I even started to pull his hair. I knew I was waking him up now but all he did was tighten his grip on me. "Kyoya!" I screamed.

"Shut up." He mumbled. "Sleep now. And stop hitting me."

When he spoke, I instantly stopped moving. It's as if hearing his voice made me hyper aware of the fact that he was holding me prisoner in his bed. Turning my head, I saw that his eyes were half open, a few strange emotions playing in them. "We need to get up and meet everyone for breakfast or they'll come looking for us."

He only blinked, his eyes still trained on me. "We've got some time." The arm that wasn't trapping me began to curl around my stomach as well, pulling me even more against him. The contact was making my skin heat up.

It took me a second to snap back into reality and begin pulling away. "I want you to let go of me." I told him, looking away from his face so he wouldn't see the lie in my eyes.

He chuckled very softly. "No, you don't."

I glared at the wall I was looking at. "Yes, I do."

He began to move and, for a second, I thought he was about to let me go. Instead, he only allowed me to drop until my back was to the bed. Leaning slightly over me, he looked into my eyes. My breath caught in my throat. "No...you don't."

"I-" I didn't get to finish what I was about to say because his lips were suddenly on mine. Gasping, I laid there for a moment in shock before beginning to respond to the contact. Closing my eyes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his back.

_'This is wrong. This is so wrong. I'm supposed to be mad at him for nearly trying to bed me to please his father. Not laying under him in a hotel room, allowing him to make out with me.'_

He licked my bottom lip, triggering a shudder that went through my entire body. Hyper aware of every place we were connected, I opened my mouth and let him explore it with his tongue. Knotting my fingers into his hair, I tried with all my might to find the will to pull away. All I managed to do was pull him closer.

Just as I felt him move the straps of my sundress down my shoulders, I finally found the will. Letting go of his hair, I pushed my hands against his chest, finally freeing my mouth. Gasping for air, I spent several minutes staring at him with wide eyes while he too tried to regulate his breathing.

"That can never happen again." I gasped out before crawling out from under him. He didn't try to hold me there anymore. Running until I was standing next to the door, I leaned against the wall and breathed heavily.

He looked at me with dark, slightly repentant eyes. "I'm sorry."

I glared. "For what? For having the weakness to kiss me in the first place?"

He shook his head. "No. For kissing you when I know that it was wrong."

He pulled back the covers and stood up, his black pajama pants positioned at his hip bones, showing off the full glory of his toned torso. I blushed and looked away. This is officially the most awkward day ever. When he had walked until he was a mere few inches from me, I flinched as his hands reached for me. Instead of trying to kiss me again, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me.

After a moment of embracing me, he let go and left me to stand, lightheaded, against the wall while he sorted through his suitcase that was sitting on a console table. Locating a change of clothes, he walked past me and shut himself in the bathroom. I didn't miss the sincere smile that slowly took over his face as the door shut.

Taking this as my cue to leave, I walked out into the hallway and shut the door. If I wait for him in there, I have a feeling I'll try and walk in on him and start a make out session of my own. Before I could get too flustered, the entire host club suddenly appeared. They all looked a little concerned. Looking in a mirror in the hall, I saw that my face was very red.

"Uh...I woke him up." I said with a shrug of the shoulders.

Tamaki laughed awkwardly. "Oh good. We were worried so we decided to come up here and get you guys before eating breakfast."

Haruhi stepped forward. "I told you it was a bad idea. Look." She grabbed my arm and showed it to the group. My eyes bugged out as I caught the fingerprints temporarily embedded into my skin from when he grabbed me.

I shook my head. "Really. I'm fine. That was my fault. I wasn't very nice about waking him up... He'll be ready in a minute."

The twins took that time to step forward and throw a big white box into my arms. It had a golden 'H' printed on top. They both ushered me down the hall to my room and used the key from my pocket to open it. "Put it on under your dress." They ordered before shutting me in.

Sighing, I took the box over to my bed and sat it down. Opening it, I found a dark purple bikini folded up. At least it wasn't a string bikini. The bottom edges of the top had a bit of frilly stuff on it and the sides of the bottom were held together by thick strings but other than that, it wasn't bad. Pulling it out, I undressed and put it on before putting the white sundress back over it. They had somehow managed to find a bikini that fit perfectly in such a short amount of time. It made me wonder if they had planned for me to need one ahead of time and brought it with them on the trip.

Grabbing my key card, I exited the room and walked up to the group of boys plus Haruhi, who were waiting outside of Kyoya and Tamaki's shared room. The twins saw the thick purple strap around my neck and gave a thumbs up. "How's it fit?" Hikaru asked and actually tried to lift up my dress to look. I popped him in the face.

"It fits fine! Don't do that!" I yelled and backed up.

"But it's just a bathing suit." Kaoru whined. "It's not like it's your underwear."

"Leave her be or I really will throw the two of you into a wall." Kyoya said tiredly as he exited the room. He had decided on dark colored jeans a black polo shirt. I was surprised to see him in converses. Not exactly the preferred shoe of the upper class. He placed his key card into his wallet and put it in his back pocket before shutting the door. "Let's go get breakfast before I change my mind and go back to bed."

The twins jumped up and bounded down the hall after everyone else. I tried to catch up but Haruhi and I had shorter legs and both fell behind. She shook her head, a humorous smile on her face. "So what exactly did happen when you woke him up? I've never had to do it before but I heard it's really freaky."

I tried to fight the blush as we entered the elevator with the guys and headed down to the lobby. I didn't really get the chance to tell her anything since the restaurant's door was close to the elevators so I saved her question in the back of my mind for later. It would give me a chance to properly think of a good response.

Taking a seat at a large table in the center of the room, we were each handed menus by our waiter. He brought a little complimentary basket of muffins to the table and sat it in the middle before bringing out his notepad and letting us order. I looked through the breakfast items but nothing really sounded good. I eventually settled on eggs benedict and sat back with the glass of orange juice they handed me.

"So, Ishigaki Island today, right?" Haruhi asked, one hand on her muffin and the other on Tamaki's face. Since she had started eating the last strawberry muffin, he had been trying to get to it and take a bite. She kept him at bay easily.

"Correct." Kyoya told her and brought out his black notebook. "Scuba diving, kite surfing, touring and, as I've been told, cave spelunking. There's a specific cave on the island rich in minerals. We may be able to find some crystals."

I smiled. I love exploring caves. Accepting the plate of food from the waiter as he came to the table with his rolling cart, I picked up my fork and dug in. Not bad at all. "I'm up for spelunking."

Kyoya smirked. "I thought you might be."

"Alright, someone has got to keep him off me!" Haruhi demanded, still trying to keep her muffin away from her persistent senpai. Mori senpai reached over and grabbed Tamaki's ear. A second later, Tamaki collapsed to the ground like a paper doll.

I looked down at the passed out Tamaki before giving Mori senpai a surprised look. "Ancient Japanese trick. Puts the opponent in a light sleep." He said monotonously.

Tamaki ended up staying unconscious for the rest of breakfast. We grabbed a handful of strawberry muffins on the way out the door from the basket near the front desk and put them in a napkin for Tamaki before going up to our rooms to make sure we were all ready for the day. Mori senpai carried the sleeping 'king' over his shoulder before laying him against the wall in the hallway with the muffins in his lap. The second he woke up, he gave a few choice words to Mori senpai before digging right into his treat.

After I had put a towel and an extra change of clothes into my white beach bag with my wallet, I went into the hallway to wait on the others. Kyoya was leaning against the wall across from my room, a black beach bag of his own on his shoulder. He looked at me carefully. "I didn't notice earlier. You've gotten paler."

Touching my cheek subconsciously, I shrugged. "I'm not sick or anything."

He reached forward and placed the back of his hand on my forehead for a moment before moving it to my neck. "Don't be so sure. You feel a little warm. Are you sure you feel up to leaving the hotel today?"

I smiled convincingly. "Absolutely. The black plague couldn't keep me from the beach."

He pulled out his phone and sent a quick text. "I'll keep a doctor on call...just in case."

Pulling the bag more securely over my shoulder, I leaned against the wall beside him. "I'm fine. I would know if I was sick. Don't you trust me?"

He looked to the side, his eyes completely locked with mine. "With my life. But the point still stands that you feel warmer than usual and I just want to be cautious."

Hearing him say that he trusted me with my life made my heart hammer a little. It meant a lot. Even though he knows I'm skeptical of his intentions, he still is willing to put his faith in me. It's honestly too soon to tell, but I really think I'm beginning to trust him again. Can three days determine whether or not he'll ever listen to his father again?

As the other hosts poured into the hall, along with several other students, I instinctively reached out and laced my hand with Kyoya's as he began to walk towards everyone. He paused and glanced at me curiously over his shoulder. When he saw the uncertainty I was sure was written all over my face, he squeezed my hand and smiled quickly before walking forward with me by his side.

It was easy to see how surprised everyone was with this. Everyone in school knew or knew of the host club and many knew that one thing that they all were was 'unobtainable'. So to see one host grab the hand of a girl as if they were a couple, it sent a wave of whispered chatter through the hallway. Ren stood beside a couple of her friends, a frown on her face and that same glint in her eye I had seen yesterday when exiting the department store we had fought in.

"Is this what you want?" He whispered.

Looking at the faces of all the people in the crowd, my eyes eventually landed on the boy with his hand in mine. A smile slowly formed on my lips. "I think so."


	19. Ishigaki Island

**HEY. HERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER. SORRY IF YOU THOUGHT THE LAST CHAPTER WAS SHORT. I KINDA THOUGHT IT WAS BUT I LIKED THE ENDING POINT I CHOSE.**

**ONE OF MY FRIENDS HAS AGREED TO SIT AND READ MY STORY. AND HE'S A DUDE. :P IT MEANS A LOT TO HAVE SOMEONE READ IT THAT I CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT FACE TO FACE AND ASK THEIR OPINION. UNLESS THAT SOMEONE IS IN MY FAMILY. IN THAT CASE, I HAVE NO IDEA WHO SPIRITEDCHILD IS AND I'VE NEVER HEARD OF FANFICTION IN MY LIFE. :D**

**Chapter 19**

Avianna's POV:

"Moshi Moshi!" A crowd of native people yelled as the big group of students exited the boat that brought us to Ishigaki Island. Each student was given a pink flower than we were told was called a _Rohdodendron Amanoi. _One native in particular told us that we could just call it a mountain flower.

Kyoya had handed me his politely and the twins seemed pretty adamant about stealing one of my flowers and trying to put it in my hair. When they succeeded, they finally bounded ahead and left us be.

Waiting for us at the end of the dock were several people with signs around their necks. One sign read 'scuba group', one sign read 'kite surfing group', one read 'touring group' and the final one said 'cave spelunking'. We were told to unanimously decide as a whole group which one to go with. After some discussion with Tamaki and the other hosts, and even some added opinions from Ren and Setsuko, we all went into the scuba diving line before any other group could claim it.

The man who would lead our group bowed formally, a wetsuit already on. "I'm confident that you'll find your scuba diving experience very enjoyable. Please follow me to the white boat at the end of the dock." Doing as he said, we walked about a hundred yards to a large boat that had a few other people on it, also in wetsuits.

The first thing we were to do was sign an agreement form stating that we were all at least thirteen and would follow all safety regulations. When we had completed that, we were each fitted in a wetsuit and assigned a scuba kit. Putting on the heavy oxygen tank, I walked around the boat, trying to get used to its weight. When the boat had moved about a hundred yards from shore and we were all prepared, we were each permitted to enter the water.

When I jumped into the water, I nearly gasped. The color and the brilliancy of the coral reef we were next to was magnificent. Swimming to the bottom, I located a pinkish seashell. Opening the zip bag I was permitted to collect things in, I put it inside and closed it in. It wasn't long until I found Kyoya swimming overhead. He stopped over the coral reef and used a waterproof camera to take pictures of it.

He looked in my direction and aimed the camera at me. Taking my picture, he swam away. Smiling, I swam up and followed him as we swam further out. The rules stated that we could never go farther than a hundred yards from the boat. A large let was set up in the area we were permitted to go, giving us a defined barrier. Swimming to its far reaches, I was startled to find a small yellow fish caught in the net, Reaching forward, I carefully set it free. It swam away quickly, terrified. Poor thing.

The scuba diving experience was incredible to say the least. Thirty minutes later, we all resurfaced and were seated for a headcount. Scanning the faces myself, I was glad that nobody had been left behind. The boat headed towards the shore, each of its occupants either smiling or looking very serene. Kyoya brought out his camera and took a picture of me after I had removed my goggles. Blushing I averted my gaze to the sea. I smiled when I saw a group of students kite surfing. Returning the wetsuit and putting back on my white sundress, I got off the boat with everyone and waited until another group was available.

Kite surfing had been just as exciting as scuba diving. Feeling the rush it gave me long after the experience, we then decided to go cave spelunking. Surprisingly, the tour guide seemed a little peeved. "I hope you plan on actually getting past the mouth of the cave. So far, each and every person today has backed out of completing the tour."

I wasn't surprised. The students of Ouran were spoiled and pampered. Not exactly adventure seekers. Even the hosts seemed a little reluctant to enter the dark cave. Accepting the flashlight from the tour guide, I walked right ahead. The cave had a sandy bottom, making it easy to walk inside in flip flips. Other than a few scattered rocks on the ground, I didn't run into any problems.

The rest of the group seemed encouraged by my bravery and followed me inside. It wasn't long until Kyoya had caught up to me, his glasses no longer gleaming since there was a lack of light. He shined his own flashlight up to the ceiling. We were beginning to enter the part with crystals. They shimmered against the faux light, making the cave seem almost magical. A small collection of tide pools could be found up ahead. Looking down, we were surprised to see salt crystals forming inside the water, on the edges of the small pools. We were all reluctant to reach in for them since one pool had what looked to be a jellyfish in it.

"We'll need to leave soon." The tour guide told us. "I have a few more groups to take and the tide will begin to rise in an hour."

Taking a few more turns, we walked into a part of the cave with a giant pool of water. A sort of iridescent light was shining from within it. I leaned down and picked up a small, off shaped brown stone. On closer inspection, I realized it was a Chrysoberyl. Putting it in my bag with the shells I collected during my scuba lesson, I grinned and started to look for more.

Kyoya seemed amused when I caught sight of him. "You look like a kid in a candy store." He murmured.

I laughed. "This is just too much fun. If all you Ner Do Wells would get off their pedistools and actually get your hands dirty, you'd enjoy it too."

He raised and eyebrow and surprised me by hunching over and reaching right in the water. I nearly passed out when he pulled a decent sized sea cucumber from the water. "I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty." He said with an even more prominent smirk. When he was sure that I was sufficiently shocked, he dropped the nasty looking creature and started to look around in the shallow edges of the large pool.

By the time the guide made us leave the cave, Kyoya had helped me locate some stray crystals that had fallen from the cave's ceiling, giving me plenty of trinkets to send to my mom and grandma as gifts. Ren and Setsuko seemed thrilled to leave the cave. They were the first out, trying to hide their disgust since their favorite hosts were nearby.

"This is really your sort of thing, huh?" Tamaki asked awkwardly as he brushed some dirt off the front of his shirt.

I nodded and grinned. "It's really fun when the cave you go in has lots of twists and turns. But always go in a large group and always bring location markers. It isn't difficult at all to get lost." Those two were a must. Considering the dark scared me to death if I were alone, I would never explore caves unless a friend had volunteered to go with me.

He stared back at the cave a little apprehensively. "I don't know. I hate places like that." He shivered, only to be nearly tackled to the ground by Setsuko.

"Are you cold Tamaki?" She asked, wide eyed. I sighed. What is with these girls? They act as if the hosts are the loves of their lives.

For the remainder of the day, Ren kept her distance from everyone, including Kyoya. When the sun was beginning to set and we were heading towards the docks to board the boat that would take us back to the main island, Ren finally showed me how evil she could really be. Before I could walk up the boat's ramp, she came running up to me in a panic.

"Avianna!" She called, surprising me. She had no right to act so familiar with me. Whether I went by name traditions in Japan or not, she should at least tack a sama or a san on there.

Walking away from the boat's dock, I met up with her. She hunched over, out of breath. "What is it?"

She looked up at me with panic in her eyes. "It's Honey senpai! He accidentally left his camera in the cave and he ran off to find it! Mori senpai can't find him anywhere!"

My eyes widened and I quickly scanned the crowd of students. I could see the other hosts but Mori senpai and Honey senpai were missing. Kyoya looked at me questioningly. "Kyoya, have you seen Honey or Mori senpai?"

He looked around. "No. Why?"

I looked in the direction of the cave. Oh no...by now, the tide would be rising and Honey senpai is so small. Can he even swim? Well, he is a senior... "I'll go find him." I told Ren and ran in the direction of the cave.

"Avianna!" I heard Kyoya call after me but I didn't respond. I could hear several people running after me. As I ran through the thick fringe of trees, I located the mouth of the cave, dropped my bag on the surrounding sand and ran inside. By the time I was a few feet in, the water was already to my knees.

"Honey senpai!" I called, getting no response. Walking in until the water was to my waist, I called again. "HONEY SENPAI!"

Thankfully, I heard him call back. "Takashi and I are in here!" I heard from deep within the cave.

I waded until I had to swim to get to where they were. Halfway there, I accidentally fell under water. Panicked and unable to see, I fought my way to the surface. At one point, I felt a sharp pain on my arm. When I broke free of the dark water, I saw them. They had found a higher patch of land to stand on, keeping them at only ankle deep in the water. Both looked soaked though in the very faint light we had to go by. Mori held a flashlight in my direction. I shivered, the water freezing me. When I was close enough to them, Mori senpai reached down and grabbed my arm before lifting me out. "Thanks."

"No problem." He said simply.

"What happened?" I asked Honey senpai, figuring I'd get a more detailed answer from him.

Honey senpai looked at his older cousin sheepishly before jumping onto his back. "Well, I ended up needing my camera earlier. But when I tried to find it, I couldn't! The last place I saw it was the cave so I went to look. I accidentally ended up falling in the water and by the time I surfaced, I couldn't find my way back out." He sniffed and hugged Mori senpai. "And I still can't find it."

I sighed. "You should be more careful. It's very dangerous to walk into a cave like this at high tide."

"More problematic is the fact that we shouldn't try to get back in the water when it's this dark." Mori said.

I nodded. "Around this time, it's most dangerous. If we were to accidentally take a wrong turn, we'd be stuck in a cave full of deep water."

"Hello?" We heard Tamaki yell. "Can you hear us?"

"Yes!" I called. "We're about fifty feet from the entrance! Don't come in! It's dangerous!"

"Avianna! We're going to send someone in for Mori senpai, Honey senpai and you!" Kyoya called to me. "The boat is entering the cave now!"

The three of us stayed close together as we waited patiently for our rescue. A minute later, there was a very bright light shining in our faces. The boat had found us. "I found them!" The native in the paddle boat made his way to us before helping us in. When we were all seated, Mori senpai helped him row us out of the cave. Waiting at the mouth of it for us was the entire group.

Kyoya ran for us and helped me from the boat, his eyes searching everywhere. "Are you hurt?"

"Not at all." I smiled and accepted the towel he wrapped around my shoulders.

When he was satisfied that I wasn't, he reached forward and popped me on the top of the head with the side of his hand. "That's for running into a dark, water filled cave."

I blushed. "I'm sorry."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and handed me my bag. "Just don't do it again."

Suddenly, Tamaki let out a girlish scream. "Blood!"

Everyone followed Tamaki's gaze. Looking down, I looked at my left arm and saw a gash about a few inches long running down the top part of my lower arm. It wasn't bleeding too bad but it did look kind of gory. Covering my arm with my towel, I blushed. "Well, that explains why my arm hurt so bad after I hit it on a rock."

Kyoya's hands flashed forward and took my arm before examining it. "It isn't bad but we should get her back to the boat so I can disinfect it. Infections can be dangerous."

Kyoya put both hands on my shoulders before immediately pushing me forward. I tried my best to ignore everyone's worried questions. Giving them all polite smiles, I let Kyoya bring me up to the boat and guide me to it's small nursing station. The woman in the room looked startled. "Is she alright?"

He nodded. "Please allow me to see to her. You may go."

The woman glared and was about to resist when Kyoya casually slipped her some unknown amount of money. The woman looked at it in surprise before leaving the room right away. When the door had shut, Kyoya had me sit on a nearby chair while he searched the room for the supplies he needed. "I apologize for sending her away. I don't enjoy seeing others do half jobs."

I watched as he laid a few things onto a nearby table and held out his hand for my arm. Giving it to him, I winced as he poured some peroxide over it. "She might have done a good job." I told him.

He smirked. "Possibly. But I always did prefer doing things myself." He seemed completely at ease as he grabbed a pair of tweezers and carefully took a small chip of a rock from inside the first layer of my cut. Gasping, I tried not to jerk my arm away. When he was sure that it was clean, he applied another disinfectant product and grabbed a roll of gauze. Wrapping the white, stretchy tape around my wound, he fastened it and allowed me to pull my arm back. "Done."

I looked at it, examining his work. "Well done. Doesn't even hurt anymore."

Before another word could be said, the door to the nursing room opened and the host club piled in. Honey senpai and Mori senpai were both in a new change of clothes. Surprisingly, Honey senpai was holding his pink camera. He held it up. "Look!"

"Where did you find it?" I asked.

The twins looked a little ticked off. "Ren had it. We found it sticking out of her bag." Hikaru said.

"And then we questioned a few of her friends and they confessed that they heard her say she was going to try and get you left behind on the island by hiding Honey senpai's camera and making up a story of him running off. She didn't plan for him to actually run off in search of it." Kaoru finished explaining.

Eyes wide, I looked to Kyoya to gauge his reaction. His eyes were narrowed. Adjusting his glasses, he stood and offered his hand to me. Helping me stand, he put an arm around me. "If it pleases everyone, I'd like to have Ren put on the next flight back to Tokyo."

Sighing in heavy frustration, I wrapped the towel more tightly around my shoulders. "Do I have some sort of sign on my head that says 'Go Ahead: Try to get me killed'?" I asked nobody in particular.

Hikaru snickered. "Not gonna lie. You've got some bad luck."

Giving him a playful glare, I walked away from Kyoya's hold and went towards the door. "I'm going to get changed. See you guys on deck in a minute."

Leaving the room, I located a bathroom in a nearby hallway and changed into the clothes I had sitting in my bag. Putting my dress and swimsuit in my bag, I exited the bathroom and walked onto the deck. Every student was waiting there, their bags in hand. Ren was currently being detained by Mr. Kino, Kyoya and a security guard on the boat. After a few minutes of talking, Ren bowed her head and nodded. I looked to my feet, not wanting to give her any reason to confront me again.

I really hated it. It's unbelievable that so many people at Ouran wished me harm. In America, I had never made it on anyone's hit list. I guess it was to be expected at this school. Each and every one of them are born into power. Raised to believe that they can have anything they want if they fight for it.

That night, Ren was escorted to the airport by Mr. Kino. When he returned, we had already went to have dinner in the hotel restaurant. Kyoya was all but glued to my side that evening. He had been this way ever since I ran off to find Honey senpai and Mori senpai. He had walked me completely to my room after dinner and even went so far as to walk inside and scan the area. When he deemed that nobody was gonna jump out and murder me, he leaned forward and kissed my forehead tentatively before leaving for his own room.

"What's with him?" I asked Haruhi when we were both tucked in for the night. I had taken a shower after dinner and my still damp hair made me feel cold. Pulling my covers even more over me, I shivered.

She smiled. "He's worried about you. He flipped out when you ran off. When Tamaki senpai told him you had jumped into the water and swam in, the twins had to hold him back so he wouldn't jump in too. Honestly, we all were freaked out. It's really dangerous to swim into waters you can't see in."

I nodded and looked down. "I know. I really shouldn't have done that. I just know how little Honey senpai is and I worried that he might not be able to swim."

She laughed. "He does look like a little boy but he really is nearly a grown man. He's a very strong swimmer. Don't worry too much. Plus Mori senpai was with him."

"Can I ask you something?" I whispered after a few minutes of silence.

"Sure. Shoot." She said and waited for me to speak.

Forming my words, I glanced at her. "Were you ever bullied?"

She looked like she was really thinking it through. "Sort of. Back when I first when to Ouran, there was this guest of Tamaki senpai's that was so jealous of me getting to be around him that she gave me some crap over it. Even with the fact that she thought I was a boy. She actually tried to make the entire room of hosts and guests think I was trying to attack her."

My mouth dropped a little. "That's awful! I'm so sorry."

She shrugged. "It was worked out. Even before Tamaki senpai knew I was a girl, he still stood up for me and told her that I'd never do something like that to a woman." She grinned. "Tamaki senpai is just like that. He can instantly judge a person's character. That's why you get to come to the club before class all the time. Believe it or not but Kyoya really does hold Tamaki senpai's opinion highly. If Tamaki senpai had deemed you unsuitable, you'd probably have a hard time even talking to Kyoya senpai."

I looked down. "Can I tell you something? Something I'd prefer you not repeat, I mean."

She nodded right away. "Sure. I'll take it to my grave."

"You've been so nice to me from the beginning. I mean, so have Mina and Rinae but I know that they're on the list of people I can't tell this to. But considering that you and I are both from the same sort of social class, I don't have to worry about your parents ever trying to weasel this information out of you."

She smiled. "Just parent. My mom's in Heaven but my dad wouldn't try to pry information from me."

"I'm sorry. I know exactly how you feel. I lost my dad too to cancer a couple years ago." I told her sincerely.

She and I shared a moment of silence, feeling a new sort of bond. I knew right then that Haruhi really was a true friend for me and that I'd never have to worry about her turning on me. "Anyway. Go right ahead and tell me the secret. I'm all ears."

Looking back down, I clasped my hands. "Kyoya and I are engaged."

"Oh shut up..." She said in shock. Not to tell me to be quiet but as a way of saying 'what the heck?'. "Since when?"

"A little over a week now. It wasn't either of our ideas. It's an arranged one that his father and my brother agreed upon to create a bond between the families since there's a merger about to take place with their companies."

Her wide eyes slowly relaxed before she began to frown. "That's not even right. How can they force you into something like that?" Taking a deep breath, I explained everything that had happened since I first learned of Mr. Ootori's plan for the engagement. When I had finished, she spoke. "Why did you say yes?"

Balling my hands into fists, I bit my lip. "I really don't know. It was like no other response would exit my mouth. You have no idea how scary this all is. The part I hate the most is that I don't think I'll ever know what Kyoya would have wanted. This engagement wasn't he choice and he'll never have the chance to back out. And neither will I."

I heard her stand up and, a second later, she was sitting on the edge of my bed. She placed a hand on my back. "Have you talked this through with him?"

I shook my head. "No. Even if I did, he'd probably lie. He's too nice to tell me to my face that he hates being engaged to me."

"I don't think he hates being engaged to you. He seems to really enjoy your company. And then there's his overprotective side to consider."

"He does the whole overprotective act because it's what his father would want." I mumbled. "If this engagement weren't forced on us, he and I would probably still be in the barely friends stage. He's forcing himself to like me..."

"Now, you don't really believe that, do you?" She asked suddenly. Looking up at her briefly, I looked back down and nodded.

"How does any other way make sense? It's not one of those boy meets girl sort of situations. He's Kyoya Ootori. The manipulative shadow king over _everything_." Pulling m legs up, I hugged my knees. "It's like...when he tells me something, I can't even believe it. This behavior isn't like him. The affection and the concern. I don't even know..."

The hand resting on my back pulled away and she stood up quickly. Before I could even speak, she walked to the door and opened it. Walking outside, she slammed it shut. I listened as she stomped down the hall and knocked on a door. It opened and Tamaki responded.

"Haruhi! Have you come to visit daddy?" He asked and I imagined him with sparkles in his eyes.

"Where's Kyoya senpai?" She asked.

"Uh..." That took both him and even me off guard. "Kyoya, Haruhi wants to speak to you."

"Yes Haruhi?" I heard him say. For a minute, I heard shuffling and yelling from both Tamaki and Kyoya. The next thing I knew, the room door opened and Haruhi was literally dragging Kyoya into the room by his shirt. Throwing him forward, he had to catch himself against the edge of the room's console table. "What on Earth are you doing?" He asked her, obviously irritated.

She crossed her arms and started walking towards the door. "You both talk. I'll keep watch outside in case Mr. Kino decides to make a surprise visit." Shutting the door behind her, Kyoya and I were left alone.

I froze in place on my bed. looking at him with wide eyes, I waited for him to speak. Adjusting his glasses, he stood upright. "Do you have any idea what caused that?"

Blushing, I looked down at my knees. "No idea."

I didn't even hear him cross the room. Suddenly, the edge of the bed indented as he sat. He placed a hand on the top of my head and I looked up at him shyly. "Tell me."

My face flushed even more. "I told her that we're engaged."

He didn't seem surprised. "That doesn't tell me why she drug me out of my hotel room and threw me in here."

I was absolutely mortified. Why did Haruhi have to do this? "I don't know. We were just talking and she just left and fetched you."

"Tell him the truth!" I heard Haruhi say from the other side of the door. We both looked at the door.

I scowled. "Stop eavesdropping!"

A second later, I heard her move several steps away from the door. When we were sure she was gone, Kyoya looked back at me. "What is the truth?"

I returned my gaze back to my knees. "I'm just unsure of where we are all the time. Even now. I never know what you're thinking or what your reasons are behind your actions. Say we weren't engaged. Say it was never even considered an option in our minds. Where would we be then?"

I waited with bated breath for his response. I had counted to ten before he spoke. "I don't know because it never happened that way. But when I say that I feel attracted to you, I don't mean to say that my feelings for you are purely physical. I don't want you to assume that I've shown you any attention because I feel obligated to. If you do believe that, you're entirely wrong. I will say this. You're incredibly stubborn to still doubt that I like you. Has there been a single moment where I made you think otherwise?"

Grimacing, I stood on my knees and made my way over to him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I curled into his side. "I'm sorry. I'm stupid."

He chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around me. "Not at all. By the way, I told my father you surpassed my grades within a month at Ouran. He's very impressed."

I blushed in semi pride. "It's probably a fluke."

For what seemed like a long time, we stayed there like this. Closing my eyes, I was very close to sleep. It was late and I've had a tiring day. "Avianna?" He whispered.

After a few seconds, I sighed. "Hmm?"

I felt him begin to run his fingers through my hair. "Do you still not trust me?"

"Not really." I said honestly before curling even more into his side.

"If I told you something was in your best interest, would you listen to me and follow my instructions?"

Opening my eyes a little, I looked up at him tiredly. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not ordering you at all. I'm asking this most humbly. Stay away from Hiro for the remainder of the trip, please. He's not a good person and I worry what he would try were he to get you alone."

My eyes widened completely. "He and I were alone in the hallway yesterday and he didn't try anything."

He looked like he was still unconvinced. "Please."

Closing my eyes, I sighed. "Fine. I'll stay away from him."

"Thank you." He said before picking me up and putting me properly in bed. Pulling the covers over me, he kissed my forehead and walked out of the room. As I drifted off, I heard Haruhi enter the room. A few minutes later, everything was completely silent.


	20. Tadake Falls

**I LOVE HOW SOME OF YOU WILL GUESS WHAT I'M PLANNING AND HIT IT DEAD ON. XD BRAVO TO THOSE WHO SEEMED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN. THOUGH IT DOES MAKE ME FEEL LIKE I'M EASY TO PREDICT. I REALLY TRY TO MAKE THE STORY AS RANDOM AS POSSIBLE FOR YOU. :) ENJOY CHAPTER TWENTY. IKR? TWENTY CHAPTERS AND STILL NOT FINISHED.**

**I AM REALLY SORRY ABOUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO POST. BEEN PRETTY BUSY LATELY. LOTS GOING ON SINCE IT'S SUMMER AND ALL. PLEASE ENJOY CHAPTER TWENTY! ^_^**

**Chapter 20**

Avianna's POV:

The next morning, I was woken up by a particularly loud knock. Refusing to open my eyes, I just listened. Haruhi got up and I heard her walk towards the door. When it swung open, she sighed. "What do you two want?"

Oh. Them. "We're on a mission. Today's the day we head for Tadake Falls." They said in unison.

"Meaning?" She asked.

"That it's our job to dress the two of you!"

My eyes shot open. Practically flying off the bed, I crawled under it before they could come in the room. I heard Haruhi yell as they walked in. When I peaked out from under the bed, I saw that they were carrying boxes with them. The twins picked up the top box and opened the lid before presenting Haruhi with a frilly little pink bikini. "No way." Haruhi yelled, her arms crossed. "Besides, it's a class trip, remember? Where's the trunks you promised me?"

"Fine..." The twins mumbled and took a pair of light blue swim trunks from a bag on their arm and threw them at her. She took them gratefully and grabbed a t-shirt before shutting herself in the bathroom to change. "Avianna!"

I tensed and hid as far under the bed as possible. Before I could even blink, someone grabbed a hold of my legs and pulled me out from under the bed. I kicked and fought as the two threw me on the top of the bed and sat the box in my lap. The jumped up and down excitingly as they waited for me to open it. Giving up, I lifted the lid and pulled out the one piece. Two piece. One-two piece. The dark blue bathing suit looked like a bikini from the back but had a strip connecting it in the front with an oval shaped hole in the middle that stopped just bellow my chest and just above my belly button.

"It's...different." I mumbled as I tried to figure out how something so stupid looking could make it on the market.

"It's a Hitachiin original. Wear it with pride." Hikaru said with a smirk. "Meaning if you don't wear it, we'll just have you wear..."

Kaoru pulled a hot pink bikini out of nowhere. It was the skimpiest thing I had ever seen. "...this."

Gulping, I gripped the dark blue bathing suit and dove into the bathroom the second Haruhi exited it. Changing, I looked in the full length mirror on the back of the door. It tied over the neck and behind the upper back and was connected on both sides of the hips by golden rings. I began to wonder if wearing the two piece wouldn't have been better. I brushed my teeth and pulled my bangs back and clipped them on the top of my head. Covering myself in a white knee length wrap skirt and a black tank top, I exited the bathroom to find the entire host club waiting in the hotel room.

"Awww. Show us the suit." Both twins whined. Shaking my head, I grabbed my beach bag and located my white flip flops. Stuffing in a new change of clothes, I put in a little pair of goggles, some sunscreen and a large beach towel into the bag as well.

"Ready." I told them.

Kyoya stood first and offered his arm to me before exiting the room with me. Honey senpai was bouncing up and down as we walked down the hall. Tadake Falls was the highlight of the trip for him apparently.

"I double checked and it's official. No hiking up the falls. We all will be taken to the largest waterfall by helicopters." Kyoya said, causing Honey senpai to quit bouncing. His giddy expression feel and tears began to bubble in his eyes.

"But..." He whined.

"Mitskuni." Mori senpai said. Putting a hand on the little blonde boy's head, he smiled. "That doesn't include us. We've been given permission to hike up the falls."

Honey senpai's eyes lit up like he had never been sad. "Takashi!" He shouted before jumping on to his back and climbing up to his shoulders. When we made it to the elevator, Mori senpai placed Honey senpai on his feet.

Haruhi, who was currently being harassed, for lack of a better word, by the twins, finally ended up punching them on the tops of their heads. Irritated beyond all belief, she stomped out of the elevator the second it opened. We all stared after her in amazement.

"What's gotten her all worked up?" Hikaru and Kaoru asked, as if they hadn't just been trying to hug the stuffing out of her a second ago. Pulling my arm away from Kyoya, I gave the twins a glare.

"I'll go check on her. If you guys stopped tossing her about like she's some sort of barbie doll, she wouldn't be so angry." I told them before running after Haruhi. When I found her, she was already heading for one of the trollies that would take us to the boat we'd be taking today. "Haruhi!" I called, causing several heads to turn. I blushed and toned down my voice. "Haruhi."

She turned around and looked at me curious. "Yeah?"

"Is something the matter?" I asked her. "You've been a little keyed up ever since last night."

She looked down for a second before looking at the trollie. "Let's take a seat in the back."

Following her onto the trollie, we took one of the back seats. Turning in the seat, I looked at her expectantly. "Alright, so what's up?" I whispered. People were already filling up the seats. Since this was the final group day, all the groups were being combined so we were on one of the trollies that didn't have any hosts.

She leaned her outstretched hands on her knees and looked at her feet with thoughtful eyes. "I keep having dreams about Tamaki senpai."

I raised an eyebrow. This certainly wasn't what I expected her to say. "What kind of dreams?"

She blushed. "Well, the first dream was the night before we left on the trip. I dreamed that Tamaki senpai showed up at my house to pick me up for the trip and...when we were sitting in the limo that was taking us to the school...he kissed me. When I actually woke up and Tamaki senpai showed up to get me for the trip, I was blushing like a tomato. By the time we had arrived at the school, he thought I was sick or something."

I smiled. "And what other dreams have you been having?"

She looked like her face was about to explode. "Uh... Two nights ago, I had a dream he and I were just sitting in a park, talking and eating lunch. No other hosts there like usual when we have picnics. Then last night, I had another dream that I woke up in bed with him."

I blinked. "Naked?"

She shook her head. "No! I was in pajamas..."

I laughed softly. "I think I can explain things for you."

She looked up, eyes wide. "Really? What does it mean?"

"It means you like your senpai. As more than just a senpai."

She stared at me like I had just grown another head. "No way." She shook her head. "That can't be right..."

I leaned back in my seat. "And why not? He likes you too. Pretty much the only one who hasn't caught on to that is you."

She looked so confused, I almost felt the need to explain everything all over again. As the trollie moved forward, she looked out the window with a distant expression. When the trollies all stopped and we exited and walked towards the dock, she slowed her pace down so that everyone walked ahead of us. Matching my stride to hers, I waited for her to say something.

"I don't get it." She whispered. "Why would he like me?"

Putting a hand on her shoulder, I smiled. "Let's put it to a test, okay? When you get on the boat, call him Tamaki. Don't add senpai. See what happens."

She seemed unsure, but didn't say anything further as we boarded the boat. Taking a seat on the bench that connected to the whole perimeter of the boat, we waited for other hosts to find us. Tamaki was quick to sit right next to Haruhi. When he had completely focused his attention of her, Haruhi tensed.

"Hello Haruhi!" He said excitedly.

Since I was sitting about five feet from her, on the opposite side of where she was facing, I couldn't see her face, but I guessed that she was blushing. "Hello...Tamaki."

At first, Tamaki didn't seem to notice. Slowly, his face became redder and redder, until it was flaming practically. "Haruhi..." He mumbled, his eyes big and childlike.

She looked at her feet. "Yes Sen-I mean Tamaki?"

"Well, this is a new turn of events." I heard Kyoya whisper as he sat beside me. "That talk you had with her must have been very affective for her to drop the senpai with him."

I smiled, my eyes on the blushing pair. "You think they might start dating by the end of the trip?"

"Not likely. They're both pretty dense when it comes to their own feelings. But it was a good first step for them." He said softly.

"Should we go and let them have some privacy? It looks like they're having a moment." I said quietly.

"That's probably best." He agreed. I grabbed Kyoya's arm. We walked away from the two, who were currently staring at eachother shyly with cherry red faces.

Walking to the right side of the boat, I looked over the railing at the cerulean waters. I closed my eyes as sea spray hit my face. Laughing, I leaned back and wiped it off with the back of my hand. When I opened my eyes, Kyoya was staring at me blatantly. I blinked. "What is it?"

He didn't respond. He didn't need to. It was there in his eyes as he stepped until we were a mere inch from one another. I felt him take hold of my hands before kissing me deeply. Pulling my hands away from his, I brought them up to both sides of his face as he wrapped one arm around my shoulders and the other around my waist.

Neither of us noticed as the boat became eerily silent. The special moment was broken by a girl's high pitched scream. "No way!"

We broke apart and took notice of our surroundings. Every person on the boat who wasn't already aware of our relationship was looking at us with wide eyes. The girl who had screamed was at the front of the group and I recognized her as one of Kyoya's regular guests. Bringing my hands from his face, I gripped the collar of his shirt in my fists and blushed.

Mr. Kino, thank Kami, broke the tension. Walking over, he started shooing everyone away. "Alright kiddos. No PDA allowed. Nothing to see here. Go about your business." He gave us a playfully stern look before going back to stand with the other chaperones.

"It's funny." I whispered when we were being ignored once again. By everyone, that is, except that guest of Kyoya's.

He raised an eyebrow and stopped holding me so tightly. Taking a step back, he kept one arm around my waist and turned to look at the ocean. "What's funny."

"A week ago, public displays of affection like that would have never happened between you and me. I mean that it isn't something you would do."

He smiled a little as he sifted through my words. "It never happened before. It doesn't mean that it wouldn't. As a host, I am the distant one. Not as much as Mori senpai but enough that people knew that the only true topic they would get out of me was about the club's finances and plans and that the closest thing to affection I would show was a polite smile."

"Then why so affectionate with me?" I had to ask.

He seemed to really think through everything before responding. "I have never felt so relaxed around anyone, except for Tamaki, in my life. It might sound foolish to you but...you remind me that I'm human. It's easy to forget that I'm not the emotionless robot my father thinks I am. Or thought I was before meeting you."

"Kyoya?" I whispered the second he finished speaking. When I was sure I had his attention, I spoke again. "Remember when you said that the easy path was to agree to the engagement and the difficult path was to leave?"

He seemed unsure of why I had chosen this direction in conversation. "Yes. Why?"

"At the time, I answered that the more difficult path was really to agree to the marriage because it was what scared me the most. But even after everything with Megumi and with Ren... I still think the most difficult path would have been to return home."

As we neared an island in the distance, Kyoya looked completely at me. "Why do you think so?"

Looking down, I smiled. As the boat pulled up to Yagachi island, I just walked away from Kyoya, too shy to admit the answer to his question. The reason it would have more more difficult to return home is because...it would have been painful to leave his side.

I felt his eyes on my back as I went to accept a bottle of water from a little snack table on the boat. Taking a drink, I smiled as we finally made it to the island. Waiting there were three large helicopters. Each would seat ten. Catching up to the hosts, we all, except for Honey senpai and Mori senpai, piled onto a helicopter along with Setsuko and Mr. Kino. As it lifted into the air, I had to close my eyes so as to not freak out. Eventually, I risked taking a peek and was amazed at how green and tropical the island looked.

We finally began to descend when we found a break in the trees. Bellow, I could see a giant waterfall and a large patch of land. When the helicopter touched down, the doors unlocked and we were permitted to exit. Mr. Kino brought out his little microphone and cranked the volume up but the noise of the waterfall really muted things out. "Okay! You're free to swim or look around! Stay in at least groups of two! Other groups will arrive soon and so will all the snacks!"

On cue, another copter landed and ten more people exited. They removed a couple large ice chests from theirs. There was an area off to the right that had several overturned trees for sitting. Since none of us had a chance to eat this morning, a few of the chaperones began to immediately serve breakfast. Accepting a plate, I took a seat with Kyoya and ate.

Nobody did much talking. We were all in rapture of the massive waterfall. It's sheer power was amazing. When I had finished my plate and placed it in a trash bag, I was quick to run over and find a place to place my things. Taking off my shoes and overdress, I began to wade in the water with the others who decided to swim.

I felt a little better about my bathing suit when I saw that all the other girls were in bikinis. The water was cold at first but I quickly grew accustomed to it. I was taken off guard when I felt someone encircle their arms around my waist. Looking up, I saw Kyoya, minus his glasses, leaning over me. "Can you see without you glasses?" I asked randomly.

"The glasses help but my vision really isn't that bad to begin with." He said before carrying me to a deeper section of the water. There were so many of us swimming, we found it difficult to not run into people.

When Kyoya had let go of me to wet his hair with the water fall, I swam towards the very edge of the waterfall and looked behind it. I was surprised to find a ledge. Climbing onto it, I smiled. Neat little place. Too bad it's only a matter of time before other people find it. When I heard Kyoya call for me, I climbed off the ledge and swam back to him. Not long after that, Honey senpai and Mori senpai finished the trail to the falls.

For the next few hours, we all swam and took guided tours of the surrounding forest areas. After lunch, we rested for a while on our beach towels and talked. When some students began to complain about needing to use the bathroom, Mr. Kino pointed to a row of plastic outhouses that had been set up. The students looked disgusted but Mr. Kino told them that it was the price to pay to get to go here and to either suck it up or pick a bush to water.

I laughed. "It's kind of funny that some of these people actually consider this torture." I told no one in particular. When I looked over to my group, I saw that they were all being distracted by guests of theirs. I sighed. I guess that a host's job is never done. I almost feel bad for them. But it is their fault for joining a host club in the first place.

Standing up, I reapplied sunscreen and went back into the water. Swimming to the ledge behind the water fall, I climbed up and decided to sit there for a while and run my fingertips down the water. I could suddenly hear someone swimming this way. Figuring they wouldn't notice the ledge, I ignored it and continued to stay deep in my thoughts.

"Hey there." He said and my skin went cold.

"H-Hiro?" I stuttered as he climbed onto the ledge and took a seat next to me, blocking my exit.

He looked sheepish. "I wanted to apologize for freaking you out the other day." He said. "I get if you don't return my feelings. Which I know you don't after seeing you and Ootori lock lips."

I blushed. "I'm sorry." I said quickly before standing up and trying to get around him. He stood as well, not letting me pass.

"Do you forgive me?" He asked, eyes hopeful.

Nodding quickly, I smiled and finally got past him. Before I could climb off the ledge, he had a hold on my upper arm. Turning around, I stared at him with wide eyes. My promise to Kyoya to stay away from Hiro was screaming in my ears. "I need to get back." I told him. "Kyoya will come looking for me." This last part was more of a threat and less of a casual thing to say.

He seemed very irritated suddenly. "What does he have that I don't? Seriously. I get you come from a background where you have very little money and that dating a guy like Ootori would give you financial security-"

The sound of me slapping him was barely heard over the noisy waterfall. Glaring, I tried to jerk my arm back with no luck. "Don't you dare say it like you think I'm some gold digger! I like him for who he is! Now let go of me or I'll scream!"

His grip only tightened as his eyes narrowed. "Go ahead and scream. Nobody will hear you over the waterfall."

Before I could even blink, He threw me onto the ledge and was on me. He used one hand to bind my wrists and the other to cover my mouth. I shuttered in disgust as he started running his lips down my neck. His weight was crushing me. Kicking and thrashing around, I tried with all my might to get him away from me.

Biting his hand, he yelped and pulled it back, giving me just long enough to let out a loud scream before he covered my mouth with his own. I closed my eyes tightly in terror and repulsion, tears escaping. He had just started to pull at the string around my neck when his weight was suddenly off me.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that Kyoya had him around the neck, literally strangling him with his arms. His eyes blazed as Hiro fought for air. Mori senpai finally intervened. "Kyoya, let him go. You're killing him."

Finally, Kyoya let him drop to the ground. Hiro let in a ragged breath and crawled to the other side of the ledge as all the hosts crowded around me. "Is she okay? Haruhi asked.

Covering my mouth, a few more tears escaped. Kyoya had been my first kiss and I wanted him to be the only one I kissed. Hiro ruined that. When the sheer anger had left Kyoya's eyes, it was replaced with worry. He leaned over me and lifted me up. Pulling me into his arms, I cried onto his shoulder.

"Should we wait until Avianna chan can swim on her own or what?" Honey senpai asked.

"No, we go now." Kyoya whispered but it sounded loud with my ear pressed against his chest. "She's freezing to death." I really was. The only heat I felt was from Kyoya. I guess I was shivering more than I thought. "Drag Hiro to shore and make sure to tell them what happened."

Mori senpai threw a still gasping Hiro over his shoulder and we all exited the edge and swam past the other students. Everyone seemed pretty confused as I was carried to the teachers by Kyoya and Hiro was lugged there by Mori senpai. Mori senpai none too gently dropped Hiro to the ground, right at Mr. Kino's feet.

"What the..." Mr. Kino muttered.

Mori senpai took it upon himself to explain. "Hiro Bicho cornered Avianna Yukimura behind the waterfall and attempted to rape her. We got there just in time."

Whether it was from how intimidating Mori senpai was or how mature and serious he seemed, Mr. Kino looked at Hiro and then at me in horror. Hiding my face in Kyoya's shirt, I waited for our chaperone to pass judgment. "I'll call his father."

I looked up. Not the police? Mr. Kino bent down next to Hiro and asked him what his father's number was. Hiro looked ready to bolt but Mori senpai grabbed the back of his shirt and made him get on his knees. After a moment, Hiro spat out the number for Mr. Kino, who then dialed it into his cellphone. He had to walk to the far edge of the opening to get any sort of reception.

We waited as he talked to the one on the other end of the phone. After a few minutes, Mr. Kino returned. "Your father is sending a jet to pick you up from the hotel. Everyone will be returning to the hotel immediately. I'll phone for the helicopters to fly over."

As everyone sullenly exited the lake and gathered their stuff, everyone looked at Hiro Bicho like he was a disgusting bug. Said bow bowed his head in shame. Kyoya carried me to my bag and sat me down when he was sure that I could stand. Picking my things up and putting back on my over clothes, I huddled against Kyoya's side, not wanting to be away from him for a second after that occurrence.

Mr. Kino walked over to us as we waited for the helicopters. "Is she alright?" He asked Kyoya.

I nodded. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"I can imagine." The teacher said with a compassionate look. "You can rest as soon as we get back to the hotel. If this has been too much for you, I can arranged for you to return home."

I shook my head. "I don't want Hiro to ruin this trip for me."

A minute later, the sound of the copters could be heard in the distance. When they landed, I and my group were allowed to get on the first helicopter. When a headcount was done and we were sure nobody was left behind, we all boarded the boat and headed back for the main island.

It was already five in the after noon when we made it back to the hotel. Piling through the doors, I went right up to my room and found a new change of clothes. I was about to go and take a bath when someone knocked on the door. Worried that it was some other club guest or random boy here to finish me off, I grabbed a candle stick from a nearby table and opened the door.

Kyoya looked rather surprised when he saw me with the candlestick. Blushing, I put it down. "Yes?"

"Were you expecting someone else?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

Shaking my head, I blushed even more. "Can never be too careful. This is me we're talking about."

"I won't disagree with that. Your bad luck is rather frightening." He said with a slight smirk but it disappeared almost right away. "I was actually coming here to check on you though. Are you alright?" 

I nodded. "I am. Really. If not, I promise I'll come find you."

He leaned forward and kissed me softly. "Alright. After you freshen up, would you like to eat at the restaurant or...maybe I can take you to dinner."

"Where?" I asked, still a little off balance for the kiss.

"It's a surprise. Meet me in the hall in half an hour." He smirked before turning on his heel and walking down the hall, towards his room.

Shutting the door, I went into overdrive as I hurriedly took a shower and tore through my suitcase for something to wear. Sitting on the hotel room floor in my towel, I panicked. Where is he taking me? Should I dress up? Sighing, I spotted Haruhi's bag. She had opened it and tore through the whole thing, telling me how her dad tried to repack for her. He had added a ton of girly clothes which were now sitting in a pile on the floor. She had planned to trash them so...

Crawling towards the pile, I looked for anything that looked like it would fit. There was a knee length baby pink dress with shoulder width straps and a wrap bodice. The silky dress ended just above the knees and had thick, pink lace trim. Throwing it on in a hurry, I put on a pair of white flats, the only dressier shoes I brought on the trip, and just brushed out my damp hair before unleashing a blow dryer on it. Gargling with mouthwash, I ran out the room door and barreled into Haruhi.

She and I fell backwards and stared at eachother blankly for a moment. She looked at the dress and laughed. "I'm glad you found a use for it. Feel free to take all the stuff my dad packed if it'll fit you."

"I'm sorry. I should have asked." I told her and she shook her head.

"You should have burned it. Please. By all means. Sorry it took so long to get back. I went ahead and had some dinner with everyone. You and Kyoya weren't there but Tamaki said not to worry." She blushed as she said Tamaki's name. Giving her a knowing smile, I stood and helped her up.

"Kyoya and I are going to have dinner together." I told her before dusting myself off. Not that it was necessary. The floor of this hotel was spotless. When Kyoya's room door opened, Haruhi smiled and darted into our room, leaving me in the hall.

Kyoya exited his room in a suit, minus the blazer. He smirked. "Oh good. I actually entertained the idea of you showing up in jeans."

I glared playfully. "I know how to dress for a date."

Suddenly, the elevator opened and Hiro was escorted through the hall with two security guards on either side of him. He was brought to his room at the end of the hall to pack. I didn't miss the glare he gave me as he walked into his room. Looking at my feet, I subconsciously leaned closer to him. After a minute of standing there in awkward silence, Kyoya finally offered me his arm. I pushed any thoughts of Hiro to the back of my mind and smiled.

Accepting his outstretched arm, I let him lead me to the end of the hall where the rest of the hosts, minus Haruhi, were getting out of the elevator. The twins raised an eyebrow but neither said a thing as we walked in the now empty elevator. Tamaki looked overzealous. "Where are you going?" He asked as Kyoya pressed a button, causing the elevator to close.

As we lowered to the lobby, I looked at my shoes in nervousness. "Where are we going? Are we leaving the hotel?"

"We aren't permitted to leave the hotel but I probably could have managed that for us. Just wait. We're almost there."

When the elevator opened, he walked us down a long hallway and stopped at a set of double doors at the end. Opening it, I saw that back gardens of the hotel. A large fountain, surrounded by benches, was in the very center of the garden. There was a picnic basket sitting on the edge of the fountain.

"Doesn't seem like I needed to dress up." I said.

He chuckled. "Humor me, please." He took a seat on the edge of the fountain and pulled me down beside him. He picked up the basket and pulled out a few small covered dishes. Handing me the first, he lifted the lid to show me a plate of assorted sushi on a bed on rice. "I wasn't sure what you liked so I had them send several selections. I can get you something else if you'd like."

I shook me head. "This is great. Thank you."

He smiled and handed me a pair of chopsticks before putting a plate in his own lap. As we ate in silence, I couldn't help but remember Hiro kissing me. The memory made me so sick, I put the plate down on the ground. Clasping my hands in my lap, I listened as he sat his plate down and put an arm carefully around me.

"What is it?" He asked, startling me by how close he was to my ear. I looked up to find that he had bent his head down so that we were at eye level with one another. Looking into his eyes, I found it difficult to form a coherent sentence, let alone find a way to lie and pretend everything was fine.

"I'm fine." I mumbled.

Something he saw in my eyes sent a flash through his. He shook his head. "You're not."

Taken aback by his ability to read me with a single look, I leaned away from him and finally tore my eyes from his. "I just feel really sick over everything. Please leave it be." I said simply before standing and preparing to run inside.

The second he stood and took hold of my hand, I knew that there was no way he'd let me leave. Standing at arm's length from him, I looked to the ground, ashamed and mortified. "Please tell me you don't think I blame you over what happened with Hiro." He whispered after what felt like a very long time.

I flinched. "I don't think you blame me. I blame myself. I shouldn't have gotten myself in a situation like that."

He jerked his arm back, taking me with him. Just as I was about to crash into him, he grabbed a hold of my shoulders. Looking me dead in the eyes, his grip tightened on me. "Nothing that took place between the two of you was your fault. It's why I wanted you to stay away from him. I knew that if he got you seriously alone, something like this would happen."

Looking down, I bit my lip, trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry."

He sighed heavily and pulled me the rest of the way against him. Wrapping his arms around me, he buried his face in my hair. I let my arms hand at my sides for a moment before finally wrapping them around his neck. "If it will help any to show you that he was the one entirely in the wrong, I can force Hiro to get down on his hands and knees and beg for your forgiveness."

A quick laugh escaped before I could stop it. "No, that's okay. I do have a question though."

I felt him run his fingers through my hair quickly. "Yes?"

"Why didn't anyone call the cops on Hiro? Why just call his dad over attempted..." I couldn't even think the word let alone say it.

"Hiro is the son of a very wealthy and very well connected man. If we attempted to call the cops on his son, Hiro's father would probably cause a lot of problems for the school. He would never be able to cause Ouran to shut down but he could damage the reputation enough that students might transfer out."

I glared but I knew he couldn't see since my face was pressed against the shoulder part of his shirt. "That's not really fair. Will he get punished at all?"

"He should be put in jail for a while over something like that but it won't happen that way. Ouran is, however, completely in the right were they to decide to expel him."

"And will they? Or will they just suspend him for a while like Megumi. She nearly killed me and she got off very easy."

"The school is powerful and has been around for many many years. It could probably withstand expelling Hiro. But yes, I can imagine that they will just attempt to suspend him. Though there is the reputation of the school to consider. If the media caught wind of this, they would have no choice but to expel him to save face."

"So...if they don't expel him, I'll see him in school again soon." It wasn't a question at all. I knew it for a fact. "Would it help any to get him expelled if I found the V-List and turned it into the chairman?"

"In order to do that, you'd need to go to the boy's locker room and hunt it down without getting caught. I won't allow that." He told me with a firm voice. I sighed. I shouldn't have said anything. Now if I go through with my plan, I'll have to actually go against Kyoya's wishes.

"Let's finish eating." He said after a moment. When he let go of me, I wish he hadn't. He felt so warm that it caused everything else that touched my skin to feel cold. Shying away from the wind, I went to sit on the fountain edge with him once again, sitting as close to him as possible.


	21. The Bet

**LOVED YOUR REVIEWS FOR CHAPTER TWENTY. :P A BIG THANKS TO ALL MY REVIEWERS AND ALSO ALL MY READERS FOR GIVING ME THE ENCOURAGMENT TO KEEP THIS STORY GOING. IT SOMETIMES TAKES ME TILL THE END OF THE STORY TO REALIZE I PUT A LOT OF MYSELF INTO THESE STORIES. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED WHAT I'VE WRITEN SO FAR BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WAS A CHALLENGE TO WRITE. I WILL CONTINUE TO DO MY BEST TO UPDATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE IN THE FUTURE. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: SEE CHAPTER ONE. AND YES EMILY... AVIANNA IS MY MADE UP CHARACTER. STOP TALKING ABOUT NAMING YOUR FIRST CHILD THAT. YOU'RE ONLY ELEVEN. XD**

**OH AND MY FRIEND, CHRIS OR CHRIS CUTTER ON FANFIC SO GAVE ME ADVICE FOR PART OF THIS CHAPTER. XD OH HOW THE INNOCENT HAVE PLOTTED TOGETHER TO BRING OUT THE MOST TERRIBLE JOKES. XD**

**!CHAPTER SONG? OK, SO TOTALLY IRRELEVENT BUT I DID LISTEN TO IT DURING SOME OF THE CHAPTER. IT'S 'TURN ME ON' BY NICKI MINAJ FT. DAVID GRUETTA. THE VIDEO VERSION.**

**Chapter 21**

Avianna's POV:

As the two of us sat comfortably beside one another and finished our meal, I began to hear rumbling in the distance. When the storm was directly overhead, we packed everything up and returned the dishes to an employee before getting in the elevator. As soon as we made it to our floor, we could hear rain hitting the panes of the window at the end of the hallway. It was very dark tonight.

"This might be problematic." Kyoya murmured.

I looked at him curiously. "Why? It's just a storm. It'll pass by morning."

"Haruhi. She's afraid of storms. Her father warned me of it about a month after I met her." He told me.

My eyes widened and I ran to my hotel room door. Knocking, I waited for a response. No one answered the door but I could hear Haruhi whimpering. Locating a passing maid, I asked for her to use her key card to open our door. When she had done so, I ran right in with Kyoya at my side.

Surprisingly, Haruhi was sitting on her bed, completely wrapped in a blanket. Tamaki was sitting beside her with an arm around her shoulder as she shook. "Is she okay?" I whispered.

Tamaki nodded. "If it's alright with you Avianna, I'm going to stay here until the storm passes."

I nodded and smiled. "Sure. Take my bed for the night. I can probably get the hotel to give me another room."

Kyoya took my hand. "I can help with sleeping arrangements. Locate some night clothes and a change of clothes for tomorrow."

Nodding, I dug through my suitcase and found everything I needed. Emptying my beach bag, I put everything in there and followed Kyoya out into the hall. I had walked in the direction of the elevator, fully prepared to go to the lobby and request a new room for the night, when Kyoya intercepted. Putting an arm around me, he led me towards his own room.

My face lit up like a firework as he pulled out his key card and opened the door. He waited for me to step inside and I waited for the floor to swallow me. When nether happened, Kyoya began to look hesitant. "I can get you another room if you'd like...or even drag Tamaki back here. I'm sure you can manage to keep Haruhi calm through the night."

I bit my lip for a second. "I want them to be able to spend this time together. She always seems to be more carefree when he's around. It's alright. This arrangement is fine." Finally stepping into the room, I felt as uncomfortable as one could feel in this sort of situation.

Kyoya walked in as well and shut the door before turning on the light. He walked over to the table in the corner and opened the mini fridge. "Are you thirsty?"

Shaking my head, I eyed the bathroom. "I'm fine. I'll just be right back." Diving into the bathroom and locking myself in, I thought I heard him chuckle.

I pulled my bag off my shoulder and dropped it onto a small side table before digging out my pajamas. I had already worn my more comfortable (and more modest) selections. In the end, I had selected a pair of white silk pajama pants and a matching silk pajama top with a baby doll cut to it. Brushing through my hair with my fingers, I dug in my bag for my toothbrush and vigorously scrubbed my teeth before putting my things back in the bag and exiting the bathroom.

While in there, Kyoya had taken the opportunity to change in the main room. His black pajama bottoms looked cotton and much more comfortable than mine. He was just pulling on a black t-shirt when I rounded the corner. Blushing, I sat my bag down and went to sit in a chair by the window. Looking out at the storm, I felt bad for Haruhi. I understood fears like this. Though mine had everything to do with the dark and nothing to do with storms, I felt I could imagine what she was going through.

"Will you be warm enough in that?" He asked as he picked up the hotel phone. Once I nodded, he dialed room service and asked for two tea trays to be brought to this room and the room Haruhi and Tamaki were in. When the tea was ordered, he hung up and stood next to my chair. "The storm is passing quickly. It will surely be gone by morning."

A few minutes later, our tea arrived. Accepting the tea, Kyoya brought the tray over to the small table in the room. He placed a cup in front of one chair and I went take a seat in it. Putting a little bit of sugar in the tea, I took a sip. It helped relax me a bit but it did nothing to lessen my awareness of the fact I'd be sharing a room with Kyoya tonight. Sure, I'd have my own large bed but still...

"What time is it?" I asked, my eyes unable to look directly into his. Eventually, I settled for staring at my teacup.

"Almost nine. Not exactly late but if you're tired, you're welcome to sleep. You did have a trying day." He finished the rest of his tea and placed his cup back on the tray before standing up and locating the television remote. Pressing the power button, he turned it to a random news channel. The woman on the television was actually talking about Ouran.

"_...And Ouran once again makes it to the top of the 'best schools in the world' list. In other news, a new merger between Ootori Co. and Yukimura Inc. is now __in the first stages of completion. This merger means more jobs, better pay for the employees and more money for our currently fragile economy. Now onto this evening's entertainment. Take it over Miss. Rih."_

The camera went to another section of the studio and showed a woman in a flashy red pantsuit standing in front of a large projection screen that read 'Entertainment with Rih.'

"_Thank you Fuya. Speaking of a merger, I've actually picked up a rather...juicy detail about that. After a little bit of undercover work, I was able to get word from a close friend of Mr. Ootori, who wishes to remain anonymous, that the son of Yoshio Ootori is engaged to the sister of Mark Yukimura."_

I gasped and covered my mouth quickly. What will Mr. Ootori say when he finds out his secret is out? When the woman wrapped up the topic, Kyoya turned off the television quickly and pulled out his phone. He dialed it quickly and, after a few seconds, I heard a light click from the phone.

"Hello?" Kyoya said. "Father? Yes. You heard? What should we do? Miss. Avianna and myself could return to help with damage control."

"No!" I heard Mr. Ootori yell. Walking up to Kyoya, I leaned up so that I could hear what was being said. "If you return now, you'll raise suspicion. We don't want them finding out the rumors are true. That channel isn't exactly credible but it won't be long before someone else tries to find out more information than they did. I already weeded out the snitch and they've been taken care of."

"Alright." Kyoya said quietly. "If I hear anything else, I'll call."

"Don't call. They could be trying to tap into the phone lines. If I need to get a hold of you, I'll call."

Without even waiting for his son to respond, Mr. Ootori hung up. Kyoya shut the cellphone and placed it on the table next to us. He looked like he was seriously thinking through everything. "It probably won't be put to a stop. By the time we return to Tokyo, we might have to do an immediate press conference."

"We?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes, you'll need to be present at all public affairs for now on. This sort of news getting out early will put you in the very center of the public eye. People will probably confront you on your way to school even. Walking is now an impossibility."

I grimaced. "Things will really change now."

"More than you can imagine." He ran the back of his hand tentatively down my cheek. "You won't be alone in this. Don't worry."

Nodding, I looked to the side. "What if I mess everything up? Give the family a bad name or something..."

"Don't worry." He repeated. Putting an arm around my waist, he guided me to the bed I would be using for the night and pulled back the covers for me. "Get some sleep. We'll be leaving for the onsen in the morning."

Nodding, I crawled into bed and let him cover me up with the cold sheet and blanket. Shivering, I curled into a ball and waited for my skin to warm up the covers. As Kyoya turned off the light and crawled into his bed, he pulled a book off the bedside table and began reading by the light of a lamp next to him.

A particularly loud clap of thunder made me practically jump out of my skin. That really took me off guard. Suddenly, lightning flashed very close and the room was plunged into darkness. A loud cracking sound came from outside. Tensing up, I closed my eyes tightly and tried to imagine that the room had some light left. Even in the room Haruhi and I shared, we slept with the bathroom light on.

"Electricity went out." Kyoya said calmly. I heard him shut his book and sit it down. "The generators should kick on any minute." Without really thinking, I crawled out of the bed and walked quickly over to Kyoya. When I laid down beside him, he chuckled. "Do storms scare you too?"

I shook my head but then remembered that he couldn't see me. "No. The dark does."

For a moment, he didn't say anything. Finally, he lifted the covers and brought me under them with him. He wrapped his arms around me tightly and I buried my face in his chest. "The lights will be back on soon." He reassured me.

With Kyoya holding me like this, I didn't feel scared of the dark at all. Looking up, I tried to make out the features on his face in the darkness. I was tempted to lean up and kiss him when the lamp beside us suddenly turned on. I blinked and waited for my eyes to adjust. A little upset over our ruined moment in the dark, I looked down and blushed. "Should I get back in my bed?" I asked after a moment.

He stared at me with half lidded eyes, his focus more on my mouth that my eyes. "You're welcome to sleep right here as long as you'd like."

Turning away from him so he wouldn't see just how red my face had become, I reached up and turned off the little lamp before scooting until my back was against his chest. He put an arm around me and rested his hand on my stomach. I could hear my heart beating loudly and my breathing became irregular as he and I laid together. My nervousness has got to be painfully obvious to him.

"Goodnight." I mumbled before shutting my eyes tightly.

I heard him chuckle softly. "Goodnight."

When I woke the next morning, I didn't open my eyes. The sun was lightly warming my face. First my cheeks and then eventually my eyelids and neck. The light was dim so I guessed it to be early morning. When I finally opened them, I nearly had a heart attack. Kyoya was sleeping right next to me, hair in disarray and his expression peaceful.

Carefully picking up his left wrist, I checked the time on his watch. A little after seven. We were all supposed to be packed and ready to leave by ten. I smiled and closed my eyes. This really was an amazing vacation. And it's only halfway over too. If only Ren and Hiro hadn't decided to cause problems for me. Despite that, I felt positive that no more harm would befall me for the rest of the trip.

After laying there for twenty more minutes with Kyoya's arm wrapped around me, I finally moved his arm to the side and crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb him. Grabbing my bag, I tiptoed into the bathroom and shut the door. Ehh. Maybe it's a good idea if I take a shower before returning to him. My hair looks like a stye.

Feeling a little awkward about showering in Kyoya's hotel room, I made sure to lock the door before setting right to work. After a quick shower, I deliberated between getting dressed for the day and getting back in my pajamas. Choosing the later, I put my silky pajama set back on and attempted to do something special with my hair. Finally giving up, I brushed through it again, brushed my teeth and then exited the bathroom.

When I walked back over to Kyoya, he seemed to be still sound asleep. Carefully lifting the covers, I crawled back in and snuggled up beside him. "What time is it?" He asked without opening his eyes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you." I glanced at the alarm clock behind me. "Almost eight."

Kyoya sighed and turned onto his side. Pulling me close, he growled a little. "I don't want to get up."

I blushed. "Then don't."

After a moment of holding me, his grip loosened and he sat upright. "I do need to get up though." He rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger before reaching over me for the glasses on the nightstand. After putting them on, he leaned down and kissed me quickly on the cheek before climbing out of bed.

I laid there while he went about getting ready, missing the warmth he had emanated. When he had shut himself in the bathroom, I decided that it was about time to get ready and go check on Haruhi and Tamaki. Finding my bag, I chose a blue/green sundress with speckles of brown and gold. Putting it on, I put on some shoes and went out into the hall, careful not to get caught leaving Kyoya's room.

When I used my key card to open the door, I was a little amused to say the least. The two had fallen asleep together. Haruhi was sprawled out, taking up a large chunk of the bed, while Tamaki was laying on the very edge, only half covered by the blanket that Haruhi had wrapped herself in. Figuring that they'd want time to get ready, I took it upon myself to wake them up.

When I shook Tamaki's shoulder, he swatted his hand in my direction. "Five more minutes mama..."

"Mama?" I whispered and shook his shoulder again. When he was looking at me with bleary eyes, I ruffled his hair. "Up and at em sleepyhead. We've got less than two hours before we leave the hotel."

He looked at me blankly for a second before his eyes snapped open. "Only that long?" He shot out of bed and started scrambling towards the door. "I can't possibly get ready in that time! What will I wear! My hair! I need more moisturizer!"

I laughed before leaning over and shaking Haruhi's shoulder. "Wake up sleepyhead."

Haruhi was a lot easier to wake. She sat up and stretched her arms. "Morning." She glanced at the clock. "Oh, wow. I should get ready." She grabbed the things she'd need and was about to go in the bathroom when Tamaki shut himself in. "Tamaki! Go take a shower in your own room! I gotta get ready too!"

"No time!" The blonde called and turned on the shower water.

Haruhi glared. "You don't even have a change of clothes with you!"

"I forgot to get moisturizer from the hotel gift shop!" Tamaki screamed.

Rolling my eyes, I found his wallet and pulled out a five thousand yen bill. "I'll go get the moisturizer, you go get him a change of clothes."

Nodding, she slipped on a hotel robe and we walked out into the hall. She knocked on the door and Kyoya let her in with slight surprise while I went to the end of the hall and took the elevator to the lobby. The gift shop was small but it had quite a few selections. Finding the hair care products, I found a few different hair moisturizers. Not wanting to get the wrong one, I bought all three and carried the gift bag with me back to the room. I knocked on the door and handed the back to Tamaki through a crack in the door.

"Oh! This one looks new!" I heard him say in excitement. "Thank you!"

I rolled my eyes and went to pack my clothes alongside Haruhi. She ended up giving me all of the frilly outfits that would fit me and the rest were thrown away. I actually had to stop Haruhi from starting a fire in the waste basket. When we were both packed, we placed our bags by the door and accompanied Tamaki and Kyoya down to breakfast.

The rest of the club was waiting for us at a table downstairs. Even Setsuko was there. She dutifully claimed the seat to Tamaki's right while Haruhi claimed the left side seat. Sitting to Kyoya's right also sat me next to Mori senpai. He was a little bit intimidating but I did my best to make polite conversation.

"So Kume Island, right?" Kaoru asked after taking a long swig of orange juice.

"Uh huh. Four nights at a relaxing hot springs." Haruhi said blissfully.

"Tamaki senpai, are you excited about the onsen as well?" Setsuko asked timidly.

Tamaki smiled his most hypnotic host smile. "Why, but of course princess. But only because I know that this experience will be shared with you."

Nobody at the table, except for Tamaki and Setsuko, missed the irritation that flashed over Haruhi's face. She sat her napkin down and stood quickly before all but storming out of the dining area. Tamaki looked after her with a confused expression. "What's the matter with Haruhi?" Setsuko asked in concern.

Tamaki stood slowly. "I'll go check. Please excuse me for a minute."

After Tamaki left the dining room, I prayed that he didn't act like an idiot for once and knew what he did wrong. If he likes Haruhi, he needs to tone down the womanizing host act. Setsuko actually began to stand by I stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Allow them to talk. Please. It's a guy thing. Girls wouldn't understand." I told her.

She blinked and looked in the direction of the door before sitting back down. "I suppose."

When Tamaki and Haruhi walked back into the dining room, they both were blushing wildly. As they both sat, I gave Haruhi a questioning look. If Setsuko hadn't decided to sit with us today, I'd be able to ask her. Determining to corner and question her later, I finished breakfast and went back upstairs with everyone to quickly get our luggage.

After a headcount was done, everyone was shoved onto three trollies and taken to the dock we had used to visit Tadake Falls yesterday. A boat, larger than any we had used to far, was waiting to take us to Kume Island. When we entered the boat, several helpful crew members took our luggage and stored it in a room bellow deck for us. After another headcount was taken, we were escorted into a waiting room of sorts.

"The more I'm on these boats, the more I want to take a cruise." Hikaru said. "We should go on one for Christmas break. I'd rather be warm in the tropics than freezing in Tokyo."

"Totally agreed!" Kaoru shouted before pumping a fist in the air. "How bout you guys? Cruise sound nice?"

"We usually hold a bunch of host events during the holidays though, right?" Haruhi asked. "Wouldn't that hurt our profits if we randomly left on a cruise for however long?"

Kyoya brought out that mysterious black book of his and started to sort through the pages. After he took out a pen and wrote something down, he adjusted his glasses. "We could always turn it into an event. Tamaki, doesn't your family have a line of cruise ships?"

Tamaki nodded, eyes curious. "Yeah. What you thinking Kyoya?"

"We could choose a flat rate to charge each guest to ensure a spot on this cruise. Have an entire itinerary planned for a week. It would be very profitable and I'm sure we'd have many takers."

"But what if Megumi or Ren decide to go on the cruise?" Haruhi asked. "That might cause problems for Avianna. I'd hate to see one of them try to throw her over the boat railing or something."

I shivered as the idea played in my mind. I could only imagine how terrible it would be to be lost at sea by myself. Kyoya seemed to have already accounted for this sort of thing. "Obviously there would be a ban for certain girls. Both Megumi and Ren are currently on suspension and parole for violence. We would have to be out of our senses to allow them passage anyway."

"But what sort of itinerary?" Honey senpai asked.

"The normal things people would do on cruise ships. But instead of a director monitoring the guests, the hosts would." Kyoya answered.

As the hosts began to plan for this cruise, the boat arrived and we were all escorted off before our luggage was handed over. Waiting for us at the dock was a tall, thin woman in a white kimono and an even taller, pudgy man in a dark blue kimono. They both bowed.

"Welcome. You are our honored guests." The woman said. "I am your hostess, Miwa. This is my brother, Izanagi."

We all bowed and accepted her gift bags filled with what looked and smelled like herbal bath salts. Picking up our bags, we followed her up the cobblestone steps to a large, traditional Japanese house. The sign to the right of the door let us know that this was the onsen. Miwa san opened the door and we all piled in to the main area.

Waiting behind the desk was a younger girl that looked very much like Miwa. She was probably only a little over eighteen and she told us that her name was Kimi. She wrote all of our names in a guest registry before escorting us to a sitting room where we all had to kneel on tatami mats.

"This entire onsen has been cleared out for your arrival." Kimi began. "There are twenty rooms total here so most of you will need to room with at least one other person. A few of you called ahead and specifically requested private rooms. Those rooms have been set aside already. I've been informed that your caretakers will be all rooming together. We have a large suite set apart for them. It is two connecting rooms, one for each gender. If you'd please, tell me now who you would like to room with."

The room quickly filled with chatter. In the end, I sat quietly, figuring there would be no way anyone, save for Haruhi, would request I room with them. I really didn't know most of the people who went on the trip. At the large hotel, it was easy for Haruhi to get away with rooming with me. But at a tiny onsen where the rice paper doors had flimsy little locks, there was bound to be problems.

Haruhi, figuring it would be the least awkward, decided to room with Honey senpai and Mori senpai. When only a few stragglers remained, Kimi took it upon herself to just room us together. I was almost forced to room with a very mean looking girl when someone tapped my shoulder.

Looking up, my eyes widened. "Setsuko san?"

She smiled. "My friend and I are rooming together. Would you like to room with us too?"

I looked at her cautiously. "I thought you and Ren san hated me."

She shook her head, her eyes serious. She knelt down and smiled sadly. "I've been in Ren san's shadow since my first years at Ouran Academy. She can be a good friend but her heart isn't always in the right place. I wanted to apologize for what she tried to do to you. It would've been terrible if you were trapped in that cave. She and Megumi both haven't been very nice to you at all. They're both cousins so I usually have to put up with them a lot when Ren decides to talk to me."

I was surprised to see she really meant it and was even more surprised to hear that Ren and Megumi were cousins. Storing that last bit of data away, I smiled. "Thank you. And yes, I'd love to room with you and...?"

She pointed to a bubbly redhead in the corner, talking with a few people. "That's Ina. She's really nice."

Setsuko went over to Kimi and had my name signed to their group. When everything was said and done for the list, Kimi escorted us all through the halls. She opened doors and let groups in while explaining that even though there were doors in each room that led to other rooms, they were locked for a reason and should not be opened.

"And this room is one of our first rate selections. It is for a..." She looked at her list. "...Mr. Ootori. You are one of the students that called ahead?"

Kyoya stepped forward and walked into the doorway of his room. "Thank you."

Tamaki also had selected his own room. When Setsuko, Ina and I were in our room, we all headed for the open door that led to a patio that overlooked one section of the onsen's garden. "Oh look!" Ina shouted as she located a closet full of different sized kimonos with the onsen's logo on them. We each took turns in the bathroom in our room, changing and freshening up.

For the first day, we were free to either use the open baths, one of the more private indoor baths or go to one of the common rooms for games. We all eventually decided to go to the open bath when Setsuko caught wind that Tamaki had gone in that direction with the rest of the hosts.

Like most traditional hot springs, there was a large fence that separated the men's and women's bath. I was really surprised to see a few girls attempting to climb the fence when I walked out with my towel around me. Making sure it wasn't going to slip when I walked in the water, I walked in timidly. I've never been to an onsen before and I knew it was going to be awkward but who knew...

"Tamaki senpai! Can you see me?"

"Hikaru! Kaoru! I can see you!"

I shook my head and rolled my eyes before wading to the far edge of the bath, out of everyone's way. Soaking in the steaming water, I tried to tune out all the overzealous girls. "Can I ask you a question?" Ina said, startling me. The little redhead had scooted away from the fence and was now sitting beside me. The steam was beginning to make her skin turn to the same shade as her hair.

"Sure." I smiled. She seemed like she was extremely nervous and I was beginning to think that this question had something to do with a host.

She blushed, making her face even redder. "Um... Well... It's about this guy. I really like him a lot. But he's the type that doesn't easily let people in. In fact, the only time I ever see him give real affection is when it concerns his brother."

I knew right then that she was talking about one of the twins. "Which twin?" I asked and she looked down.

"Was it that obvious?" She asked with an embarrassed laugh.

"Yeah, pretty much. I hope you don't want me to try talking to him or something. Both hosts aren't exactly good listeners." I told her honestly.

She shook her head quickly. "I know. I'd never ask you such a favor. We've just met after all. I was only wanting advice."

I raised an eyebrow. "What advice do I have to give?"

She looked at me with masked admiration. "You're dating Kyoya senpai. Other than Mori senpai, he's the most unapproachable host. There's gotta be a way to catch Kaoru's attention..." She cut off and blushed.

I smiled. Maybe someone like Ina could be a good match for Kaoru. Kaoru seems a little shy but he hides it well when he's around his brother. Speaking of his brother, that would be the biggest problem. I gave her an apologetic smile. "Well, here's the problem... Hikaru and Kaoru are basically a package deal right now. They're extremely close and I'm not sure either would be willing to separate from the other and date. Plus... I'm ninety-nine point nine percent sure that they're both homosexual."

She blushed cherry red. "Oh, I know! What was I thinking?" She shook her head and began to inch away. "I'm so sorry for wasting your time Miss. Avianna."

"Just a second." I called, feeling bad for her. "I do have one piece of advice. Next time you're at a host club meeting, look directly at him with your head held high and ask him about his work as a designer."

She blinked. "Why hold up my head specifically?"

"Because men are drawn to confident women. If he doesn't think you're intimidated, it'll impress him. Promise. And..." I held up a finger and told her to follow me. We went to the edge of the fence and peaked through little cracks. All the hosts were sunk deep in the water with a a few other guys from school there. I felt bad for Haruhi. She looked so uncomfortable. "See the twins?"

She nodded. "Yeah, why."

"Tell me who is who." I told her.

She sighed. "Oh, this is so hard. Um... The one to the left is Kaoru?"

I shook my head. "Wrong."

"How can you tell?" She asked, looking away from the fence to me.

"Well, it's easy right now because they have their hair parted differently. At first, it was nearly impossible. But now it's easy, even if they cover their parted hair, if you remember three things. First, Hikaru is the more confident twin. His speech and actions are more exaggerated. See the way he moves his arms dramatically while he talks to Tamaki?"

She nodded. "Yeah. I guess you're right. How else can you tell?"

"Listen to them speak. Listen to the tones of their voices. Hear Hikaru's voice? Close your eyes and tell me what the tone of his voice reminds you of."

She closed her eyes. "It reminds me of... I don't know." She frowned.

"Okay... think food or a specific scent. Now tell me."

She tried again. "I guess it sort of reminds me of licorice. Red Licorice."

I smiled. "Very good. And Kaoru's?"

"Um...Like chocolate. His voice is more silky than his brother's."

"Alright. Final step to telling them apart is the first look test. You want to be able to tell them apart before they even open their mouths and speak. If they start talking at the same time, it throws people off. Their smiles. I never see them walking along without smiles on their faces. When dealing with guests, they always smile with teeth. But when alone, it's Kaoru that smiles with his mouth closed while Hikaru smiles with teeth."

On cue, Hikaru smiled widely, showing his pearly whites, while Kaoru shyly smiled with closed lips. She smiled at me brightly. "Thank you so much. I think it'll be a lot easier to tell them apart now."

"When the sun sets, we're supposed to be piling into the common rooms. Test it out when everyone gets there." I recommended before backing away from the fence.

She nodded and thanked me again before going over to talk with Setsuko. At noon, Miwa san and Kimi san walked out to each bath and announced that lunch was to be served in twenty minutes. We all made our way to our kimonos and used private stalls to change into them. When we were each ready, we all walked to a very large dining hall that could seat possibly fifty. Kneeling on a cushion next to Kyoya, we shared a quick smile before he was pulled into a conversation about the pros and cons of staying in a onsen as apposed to a more grand hotel. I noticed that as soon as Ren left, a few of Kyoya's guests came out of hiding.

"Most people come to onsens for something no hotel can really give." He answered eventually after a long list of what each place gave the visitor. "Onsens have natural hot springs that only nature can give. Granted, there are plenty of man made hot springs in the world but there is nothing like a real one. An example of why..." Kyoya reached out and took my arm. Bringing the kimono sleeve to my elbow, he showed them the bottom of my forearm. "See the way the skin glows when you exit a true hot spring. The natural water is immensely good for the skin. Man made springs cause the skin to turn red and stay red. When the red fades, there is absolutely no glow. It's not different then sitting in a hot tub."

The girls began to swoon and one reached arm out to Kyoya. "Is...is mine glowing?"

Pulling my arm back, I gave Kyoya a playful glare. "Easy now Casanova. Wouldn't want me getting jealous, would you?" I whispered so only he could hear.

Kyoya smirked. "Believe me, I haven't tried making you jealous yet." He murmured, his eyes looking in my direction while his head stayed facing his guests.

I blinked and looked directly at him. "Yet?" Looking at the food that Miwa san had just sat in front of me, a plan began forming in my head. When everyone began to eat and I was sure none of his guests would notice, I leaned over towards Kyoya. "What do you say to a little bet?"

He raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming. "Like a challenge sort of bet?"

I nodded. "A 'First One To Get Jealous Loses' sort of bet."

"There will have to be rules and restrictions obviously." He murmured casually, the smirk still in place. "Meaning that when making the other jealous, it cannot involve intimate physical contact with any other person."

"So physical contact to an extent but no kissing, no groping, no sex with anyone. That's obviously a given." I said.

"Obviously. Rules of losing; loser cannot just simply be jealous. It's the first one to make their jealousy known. Either by blowing up or reacting in a jealous sort of way. Competition lasts until midnight tonight. Do we need a prize?"

I thought for a second. "I'm not sure."

Kyoya seemed to be calculating something. "Something the other must give the winner. If you win, I'll-"

I cut him off. "If I win, you have to let me borrow your computer for the rest of the trip. And no blocking junk on it with passwords."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why the computer? Do you not have one?"

"I do." I said with a shrug. "But I know how secretive you are about your computer so...I thought, 'why not?'. You're lucky I didn't ask to borrow your little black notebook. I have a feeling I'd find the meaning of life and the secrets of the universe in that thing."

He rolled his eyes. "Alright. I'll agree to it. I won't need it until we return anyway. And if I win..." He paused, his expression thoughtful. Suddenly, his eyes sort of clicked. "...you have to take a midnight swim with me."

I nearly laughed. "That's it? A midnight swim?"

"In the open bath." He halfway elaborated. The smirk on his face was so gleeful looking, you'd think he was going to receive a million bucks in return.

Still not getting what the big deal was, I shrugged. "Sure. Deal." Shaking his hand to begin the bet, my mind slowly thought over his stipulation. A midnight swim? In the open bath... And when you use the open bath... you don't wear any... My eyes widened and I smacked his arm. His smirk widened as he took a drink of his tea. Perverted manipulator...

As dinner commenced, I tried my best to think of how to begin. He'd obviously feel most jealous of whoever I started flirting with flirted back. It can't be some random guy either cause I don't want to give anyone the wrong idea. Meaning...I'll need an accomplice. Scanning the dinner table, my eyes landed on not one accomplice, but two.

When the twins caught my stare, they both looked at me curiously. Finishing my last bite of food, I picked up my tea and carried it around the table. Both twins looked utterly confused but nonetheless allowed me to sit right between them. Sitting my tea down, I looked at the two of them before glancing ever so quickly at Kyoya. He seemed one hundred percent unconcerned.

Knowing that the chatter in the room was too loud for him to hear, I began telling them about my plan. "I've made a bet with Kyoya and I need your particular brand of mischief."

Hikaru was the first to respond. "Tell us first, then we'll consider helping."

I nodded. "I need to make Kyoya jealous enough to blow up. It won't be easy because he knows that's exactly the reaction I want. But I know you two can handle something like that."

They both laughed. "When you two get bored, you go all out, don't you? The bedroom life not exciting enough or something?"

I blushed furiously before glancing at Kyoya. My blush seemed to take him off guard. He stared at the three of us with semi concern. "It's not like that, I swear. We don't..." I didn't finish. This is an off limits topic. But even knowing the twins for as short a time as I have, I've got to figure out eventually that they have no filter between their brains and their mouths. "So will you help me make him jealous?"

On cue, Hikaru swung his arms around my waist and pulled me into his lap. "Sure." He purred. "But we want something in return for helping you."

I blinked. "What do you want?"

"We get total control over the bet. We coach you on what to say and do and even decide what you wear. Everything will be decided by us down to the very last detail." Hikaru said.

Kaoru leaned over and began running his fingers through my hair while glancing slyly at Kyoya. "And... we want to share the prize. Knowing Kyoya, he's gonna be giving you something good if you win."

I bit my lip, feeling very awkward by the twin's attention. "Well, if I win, he's going to let me borrow his computer for the rest of the trip. He'll disarm all his pass codes and everything."

The twins took a second to think. Finally, the grinned. "We want to see his computer too."

I held up a finger. "No deleting anything or trying to destroy the computer or no deal." I held out my hand and, after a few seconds, both twins took a turn to shake it. Climbing out of Hikaru's lap, I took a drink of my tea. "And also, don't go overboard with this jealousy thing. People are aware that I'm dating Kyoya and I don't want people to think of me a tramp or something."

Not that it wasn't already happening. A few girls had noticed Hikaru and Kaoru's special attention to me and they seemed very displeased. Thankfully, Ina hadn't noticed. She and Setsuko were chatting animatedly while finishing up their food. The twins agreed to keep all the overly handsy contact to an extreme minimum when anyone except the hosts were around.

As lunch ended and everyone went to the commons rooms for games, the twins put their plan into action. Slinging an arm over my shoulders they way they often do to Haruhi, they both grinned.

"Avianna, come sit over here with us." Hikaru said before leading me towards a table near the big window along with my brother. When we had taken a seat and Kyoya had sat at a table with Tamaki and the other hosts, I began to worry that perhaps it was a very bad idea to let the twins join in.

As we sat casually there, the twins leaned down so both had their mouths to my ears. "Okay, here's the first step." Hikaru said low enough for only us to hear. "We have to bring in another accomplice. Go over to Haruhi and whisper the plan to her. Ask her permission to make Kyoya jealous with Tamaki. When she agrees, just smile at Kyoya and walk back over to us. Go now."

Sighing, I stood up and straightened out my light blue kimono before walking over to Haruhi. Sitting beside her, I leaned up to her ear. "Don't speak. Just listen please. I know you and Tamaki are sort of a thing but I need permission to flirt with him to make Kyoya jealous and win a bet. Please don't kill me. It's the twin's idea."

She leaned back and gave me a disbelieving look before leaning back in. She laughed. "You guys are trying to make eachother jealous?"

"Yeah." I blushed. "Can I get your cooperation?" I asked before glancing nervously in Kyoya's direction. Some of his attention was being taken by a guest of his but most of his focus was on my face. When Haruhi laughed again and agreed, I gave Kyoya a smile before standing and walking back over to the twins. Sitting back between them on a cushion, I sighed. "Mission accomplished."

The twins laughed a little mischievously. "Excellent." Kaoru murmured.

Hikaru put a finger under my chin and made me look right at him. Bringing his face until we were a mere three inches apart, he grinned wider. "Alright. Here's what you gotta do..."

As the day went on, everyone began to disperse and return to the hot springs, or even go by bus to visit some of the highlights of the island. The hosts, who normally are sort of reluctant to separate, actually did today. Honey senpai and Mori senpai agreed to go with a few of their guests to see the castle ruins that were located somewhere near the middle of the island and the rest of the host club had stayed behind.

The twins left my side to go sit at the far end of the room and play a board game with some of their own guests, leaving me to do exactly as they instructed me to earlier. One specific thing Hikaru had told me out of the entire coaching talk was the very center of my mission. 'Go for his best friend. It works every time. You don't even have to flirt that much to get him angry.' Gulping, I put on a fake smile and scurried over to the table Kyoya, Haruhi and Tamaki were sitting at. Kyoya had been talking to the same girl for the past hour and maybe he figured that would phase me but he didn't account for my ability to read him. He couldn't have been more bored with whatever she was saying.

Sitting at the table, I looked at Tamaki demurely. "It's such a hot day, isn't it?" I asked him before fanning myself with a folding fan that was sitting on the table.

He had been staring at Haruhi with big crush eyes for quite some time so, when I spoke, I startled him. He looked up and nodded with a smile. "Very hot. It's the steam from the hot spring. It heats the entire building up."

Leaning over a little closer than one normally would when having a conversation with someone, I gave him a glance to the side and smiled. "What are you reading?" I asked, my eyes now on the pamphlet in his hands.

He seemed completely floored for a second. He glanced at Kyoya briefly and then to Haruhi before finally returning his eyes to me. "It's, uh...about the island. Different places to visit. Would you like to see it?"

Smiling as charmingly as I knew how, I reached forward and took the pamphlet from him, careful to brush my fingers against his in a very obvious way. Tamaki pulled his hand back and bowed his head quickly before apologizing and saying it was his fault for holding the pamphlet too tightly. I nearly grinned. I understood another reason why Tamaki was the best pawn. He was oblivious. To an extent, he'd get that I was talking to him more than usual, but he wouldn't truly catch on to my flirting. That much I was grateful for. I'd hate to freak him out. He really was a kindhearted and good friend.

I looked through the pamphlet briefly before sitting it aside and racking my brain for one of the other things the twins had said to say or do. Remembering one, I tried my best to not groan out loud. It sounded so stupid but they said it was a surefire way to amp up Kyoya's 'mad o' meter' as they put it.

I began to fan my face harder, my eyes half lidded. Putting a hand against the middle of my chest, I looked at Tamaki. "It's so humid, I fear I might faint." I murmured and his eyes widened.

"Oh no! Please don't faint! I'll go get water! Does everyone else need water?" He was about to stand when I let my weight drop expertly onto the top of his shoulder, causing him to sit back down entirely.

Dropping my hands to my sides, I did my best to look at Kyoya without making it obvious, wanting to gauge his reaction. He had completely stopped talking to that girl and was now glaring at me with a look that said 'what are you trying to pull?'. Fighting a smirk, I closed my eyes.

Tamaki screamed almost girlishly. "Oh no! She fainted! What do we do?"

I almost felt sorry for him, causing him to freak out this way. I didn't miss the giggle that Haruhi stifled. I opened my eyes a little to glance at her. She was watching the three of us like we were the funniest thing she'd ever seen. I was glad that she was so confident in my passion for Kyoya and Tamaki's obliviousness that she knew that me flirting this way wouldn't cause problems between the four of us.

Leaning a little more on his shoulder so that he could see my face, I blinked sleepily and looked at Tamaki. "What happened?"

He sighed in relief. "You fainted! Are you alright?" He yelled into my ear, giving me a minor headache.

Leaning up, I put a hand to my head. "I think so. I think I just need some fresh air."

Tamaki nodded. "Let's all take a walk."

The four of us stood up and so did Kyoya's guest a few seconds later. She flipped her dark hair to the side and smiled at him with unbidden joy as he actually offered her his arm. I almost showed my irritation but was able to get it in check.

Leaning on Tamaki slightly as we walked out the door, I took a deep breath when we entered the garden. He smiled. "Better?"

I nodded and leaned away from him. "Much. Thank you." The twins had told me to not stick to Tamaki. That it wouldn't make Kyoya too jealous but that he would be upset in general with me for stooping too low. Scanning the garden for someone else to reel in, my eyes landed on a boy with very dark brown hair and emerald eyes. He was looking this way, his smile bright but a little nervous. Returning his smile, I slipped on a pair of the little geta sandals the hotel had lined on the patio for guests and went to stand beside him next to a koi pond.

"Hi." He said casually when I arrived by his side. "I'm sorry if I freaked you out by staring. You're just really..." He cut off, his expression telling me he was trying to find words. "...something."

I raised an eyebrow. "Thanks?"

He seemed to notice he hadn't chosen the best word and shook his head. "What I'm meaning is, you're really pretty. We're in different groups so I didn't get a chance to really look at you until we got here. But when I saw you at lunch and you were smiling and..." He paused and blushed. I blinked in surprise.

"Thank you." I murmured, my eyes now glued to the ground. Glancing at Kyoya discretely out of the corner of my eye, I saw that he was looking over at us with very wide eyes. I had never seen him look so startled. Looking up at the boy again, I smiled timidly. "I'm Avianna."

He ran a hand through his dark chocolate hair. "I'm Kin. Look, I know this is sudden and all but would you like to go out sometime? We could take trip to the castle ruins together or the tide pools and have a picnic."

Kin seemed like a really nice guy. Which is exactly why I had to put a stop to things. I smiled sadly. "I'm really sorry but I honestly have a boyfriend."

He grimaced. "Figures. I always see you with the dark hair guy over there but I still thought it was worth a shot. Think we could be friends?"

Not wanting him to get the wrong idea ever but feeling bad for making him look so dejected, I nodded. "Sure. That would be nice."

He smiled for a second before it dropped completely from his face. His eyes widened and he looked behind my head with slight...fear? I turned around and saw Kyoya had walked until he was standing about three feet behind me. "Avianna, everyone is waiting for us."

I raised an eyebrow. Could he really be interfering? I figured that making him jealous enough to react would take much longer than a couple hours. "In a minute. I'm talking to Kin san."

Kyoya's eyes tightened and his jaw followed suit a second later. "You've made prior plans." He lied. "Please don't keep your friends waiting." I could see the words that weren't said out loud written all over his face. 'Don't keep me waiting'.

I glared. "Go on ahead. I'll catch up."

I turned around to face Kin again. He looked very uneasy. "I can talk to you later Avianna san. If you have plans, please don't let me keep you."

I smiled brightly. "Nonsense. He can calm his jets for a minute." I turned back to Kyoya and did my best to give him a convincing glare. "Go wait for me at the door if you insist on waiting. Why do you have to freak out this way every time I talk to another guy?"

This was entirely false. He never freaked out when I talked to any guy. Even when I talked to Hiro, Kyoya would always use a level voice except on rare circumstances. And that was understandable. Hiro was a sicko. Kin, however, wasn't. Anyone could tell by the way he acted that he was a gentleman and a shy one at that. My words had caused the anger to boil over in Kyoya. He glared back with a ferocity I had never seen him use. "I said we're going and we're going now!" He demanded before grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder. He turned around and walked me away from a astounded looking Kin.

I slapped him on the back. "Let me down right now! People are staring..." Not listening to a word I said, he walked me past everyone. He didn't put me back onto my feet until we were standing alone in a hallway off to the left of the garden. Crossing my arms, I grinned. "You do know that I just won, right?"

I still looked livid. "What were you and that guy talking about? He was blushing."

I blinked, the grin leaving. "I told him I had a boyfriend when he asked me out."

His dark eyes stared into mine, looking for any sort of lie. When he didn't find one, his gaze softened and he actually began to look ashamed. "I must be the most horrible person on the planet."

Not getting why he thought so at all, I shook my head. "Not at all. Why do you say that?"

"The guest of mine asked me to give her a private tour of the garden after sunset and I almost actually agreed for the sake of the bet. You were asked out directly and you said that you were already taken right away. And then I freaked out like that..." He paused and clenched his jaw, the anger in his eyes now directed at himself. After a moment, he calmed down. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second before placing them back on his face. "A bet is a bet. Let's go get my computer."

Not getting how he thought that giving his guest an after dark tour of the garden was worse than me flirting with his best friend, I followed him down the hall to his room. He opened the door and let me enter the room with him. The suite Kyoya was staying in was small, but had a very private sort of atmosphere, which is probably what Kyoya had wanted when selecting it.

I ran a hand along some transparent drapes over the rice paper window in the room and tried not to focus too much on the large low to the ground bed. "Let's not play stupid games like that again. It was really awkward." I told him.

"Completely agreed." He said as he opened a nearby closet and took his computer case out from under a pile of towels, where he had hidden it. He looked rather embarrassed as he took it from its case and started it up. He sat it on the small table in the room and we knelt on cushions in front of it.

When he had logged onto the desktop, he began disabling pass codes on the computer. Finally, he turned the computer in my direction. "Feel free to use it now if you'd like. I'm going to take a shower."

Blushing at how casually he said that, I watched him grab a towel from the closet and a change of clothes before walking into the room's bathroom. When I heard the shower water turn on, I had to stop staring at the door. My imagination was getting the better of me at the moment. Looking at the computer, I tried to figure out what to look at first. After a little bit of document peaking, I did find something that interested me. He had several short stories, and other various assignments, in a document titled 'Literature Class'.

I clicked on the first story and read through it casual, pleasantly surprised with his writing style. It was almost poetic. Smiling at a particular passage in one of his stories, I was startled when he exited the bathroom in a beige button up that had yet to be buttoned and a pair of dark colored jeans. He was toweling off his hair as he went to kneel on the floor beside me again and see what I was looking at.

He blushed ever so slightly. "My writing assignments? I'm sure there are more interesting things on the computer then that."

I smiled. "You write well. Half of these words, I don't even know the meaning of."

I wanted to keep reading the current story but I figured I should wait until he wasn't watching me to finish it. Closing the document, I continued to look through the computer. In the end, I settled with looking through his picture folders. The first several folders were of the host club at various events.

Sure that nothing too interesting would appear in those pictures, I exited the window and ended up opening the browser. Logging into the onsen's wireless internet, which they surprisingly offered, I looked through the bookmarked websites. One in particular caught my eye. It was the actual host club website. Clicking it, I looked through all of the pictures on the main page. I was very disturbed that many of them were of Kyoya in some sort of intimate embrace with a honey haired girl. "Uh..."

"Renge Hoshikugi. She's our manager and she handles the site. Many of the pictures are photoshopped. Including these." He explained quickly.

I snorted. "She hides her love well, huh?" I said sarcastically.

"Now, who is the one being jealous?" He murmured. He was leaning to the side on his floor pillow, his elbow propped on the table and his head leaning on his hand. He had his glasses sitting next to him on the table and was looking at me with dark, sensuous eyes.

"Nothing I will ever do in the name of jealousy will ever surpass you manhandling me and carrying me inside over your shoulder." I told him and attempted to replicate his trademark smirk. Considering that the only mirror in the room was behind me, I couldn't tell if I was doing it justice or not.

I knew that the look he was giving me was causing my self control to wane. Closing the computer quickly, I stood up and put it under my arm before walking swiftly for the door. Turning around, I gave him a brief smile before darting from the room. I didn't miss the brief confusion that flitted through his eyes as I left.

While walking through the hall, on my way to my own room, I ended up running into the twins. When they saw what was in my hands, they grinned deviously. "Excellent." They said with a thumbs up. "Let's go check it out."

Before I could stop them, they grabbed the computer and started carrying it outside. They sat on a bench near the koi pond with it and I ran for them, worried. "Don't get it near water. Go back inside."

The twins seemed unconcerned as they switched it off standby and began by looking through the pictures. By the time they had finished all the pictures and scanned five of the document folders, they looked miffed. "It's not here." Hikaru shouted.

"Check the search box." Kaoru recommended.

I raised an eyebrow. "Was there something particular you wanted to find?"

The twins scowled. "The blackmail file." They both said. "He always has a ready stack of blackmail ideas to get us to do our host work and we want to know where he keeps the list."

I looked at the pair dubiously. "You think he actually keeps a list like that?"

They both nodded, not a doubt in their eyes. True or not, it was sort of comical that they thought he had a long list of ready blackmail waiting to be used. Reaching for the computer, I tried to take it from them. Hikaru held up.

"We're not done looking yet!" He complained.

I glared. "Give the computer back now. He'll get mad if he finds out you're using it."

They both shook their heads, little grins on their faces. "You promised. We get to see the computer too."

Standing up, I stood in front of the two with my arms crossed. "And if you find this list, you'll do what?"

They shrugged. "Delete it, of course."

I reached for the computer then. "You promised you wouldn't harm the computer or delete any files."

They continued to keep it out of my reach and eventually had to stand to keep me from grabbing it. "We lied." They said simply.

I had jumped up with the intention of grabbing the computer but hadn't expected to slam back down empty handed. I landed in such a way that I stumbled backward. Frantically trying to right my footing, I screamed briefly before losing the fight with gravity. The twins' eyes widened as they both reached towards me with both sets of hands. They folded their arms around me and pulled me to them, saving me from falling in. Looking up at the computer in horror, there was nothing I could do as it swung past me and splashed into the water.

The splash caused everyone in the garden to look in our direction. Of all the sets of eyes on the computer that had sunk three feet into water, one set of eyes in particular looked livid. Kyoya's.


	22. Stuck

**!MY COMPUTER CORD BROKE AND I WAS OUT OF A COMPUTER FOR A GOOD FIVE DAYS SO I'M SORRY. _ AND I KNOW IT TOOK ABOUT TEN DAYS TO POST BUT I WAS HAVING TROUBLE FINDING INSPIRATION.**

**THE LAST CHAPTER WAS VERY AMUSING TO WRITE. I WAS BLOWN AWAY WHEN I SAW THAT I HAD WRITTEN OVER TEN THOUSAND WORDS. O_o**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. I DO, HOWEVER, OWN AVIANNA AND SEVERAL OTHER OC CHARACTERS.**

**!WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SKINNY DIPPING, HEATING MAKING OUT AND THE LIKE. NEVER ANY SMUT. DON'T WORRY. I DON'T WRITE SMUT AND I DON'T HINT AT SMUT HAPPENING. IT'S TEEN RATED AND WILL STAY THAT RATING FOR GOOD.**

**Chapter 22**

Avianna's POV:

_Of all the sets of eyes on the computer that had sunk three feet into water, one set of eyes in particular looked livid. Kyoya's._

"Now you've done it!" I yelled at the twins. We all looked to our dark haired senpai in fear as he began to walk right for us. I cringed, ready for the onslaught of anger and yelling that was sure to happen. Surprisingly, he walked right past us.

We all watched Kyoya jump right into the pond and pick up his laptop before carrying it to the edge. He began to shake all the water out before glaring at the three of us with unbidden anger. The look made the twins go white as sheets and caused a dull ache in my chest. He climbed out of the fountain and clutched the computer to his chest before walking quickly back inside. I fought my way out of the twins' arms and ran after him as quickly as I could.

"Kyoya!" I called after him as he turned down the hall towards his room. "Kyoya, please wait!" He opened his room door and walked inside. As I was about to walk right into his room with him, he slammed the door in my face.

For the remainder of the day, Kyoya was content to remain in his room. He refused to open the door for me or the twins as we all tried to apologize and none of us had the guts to try and open it ourselves. He even had his dinner brought to him by Miwa san. By the time the sun had set, I was starting to get irritated with the silent treatment. I had been trying the entire time to protect the stupid thing and the twins had to go and act like children, resulting in the death of Kyoya's computer.

By eleven at night, Ina and Setsuko were both climbing into bed, leaving me to sit on on my own at the table in the room. Eventually, the irritation gave way to sadness. My fault or not, that computer was important to him and he probably stored a ton of very important things on it. I need to find a way to make it up to him. I thought through any possibly ways.

Suddenly, it clicked. I knew exactly how to make it up to him. Running to my suitcase, I dug out the red silk robe I had packed and changed into it in the bathroom. Grabbing a towel and a little business card that was sitting on the table, I snuck into the hall, cautious of any teachers. Seeing that the halls were completely empty, I walked down the hall and turned left. Going to the door to the left of the smaller hall, I slid the business card through the crack in the door and used it to lift the flimsy lock.

Carefully opening the door, I peaked in. Kyoya was sitting cross legged at the table, his computer actually disassembled on the table, each piece laying on a towel. He was using another towel to wipe off a piece of the computer when he noticed me. He flinched and looked over his shoulder, his eyes very tired. When he saw me, he didn't even bother to look angry. He turned back towards the computer and continued cleaning it. "If you're here to ruin another electronic device, my cellphone is in the bedside table."

Wincing, I slipped in the room and shut the door behind me. "I didn't throw it in. The twins did to save me from falling in the pond."

His hands suddenly froze. He looked carefully back at me, his eyes a little more alert. "You fell?"

"Almost." I took a deep breath and bowed my head. "I'm so sorry. I never should have let the twins grab it from me. I should have ran with it and hid it. I swear, I'll pay you back for every cent you spent on that computer..."

After a few seconds, I heard him stand but I didn't dare look up. "Every cent?"

A little confused at the tone in his voice, I hesitated. After a moment, I finally nodded. "Every cent."

"It was a custom model. The company spent weeks putting it together for me. Total, the computer cost me eight hundred thousand yen."

I felt my hands go numb. "I'll pay it back. I'll get a job."

He chuckled and I was surprised to hear actual humor in it. Looking up, I saw that he was smiling. "I'm not going to charge you for the computer. I will, however, charge the twins. Since it was their fault in the first place. They're lucky I have all of my files backed up on an external hard drive. If that hadn't been the case..." He adjusted his glasses, causing a glare to form over the lenses. "...I just might have had to break some skulls."

I gulped and smiled nervously. "So, am I forgiven?" I asked.

He walked away from the table and went to stand in front of me. Leaning down slightly, he kissed my forehead lightly. "You're forgiven. But you'll never be trusted with another computer again unless I'm in the room when you use it."

He took in the appearance of my robe and gave me a questioning look. I blushed and looked at my feet. Should I ask his permission or just drag him out there? "Um...to make it up to you, not that it's equal in any way to destroying a computer worth eight hundred thousand yen or anything, I'm going to pretend I never won the bet and agree to a moonlit swim."

I heard him chuckle once again before walking away from me. I watched him from under my lashes as he grabbed a towel and began to unbutton his shirt. Blushing harder, I closed my eyes tightly as he changed. "You can open your eyes now." He finally said. When I had the courage to peak, I almost closed them again. He was in nothing but the towel wrapped around his waist. I idly wondered how somebody as busy as him found the time to work out. I bit my lip and tore my eyes away from his abs. "Shall we head for the bath?" He asked and offered his arm.

"Uh, yeah." Taking his arm, I kept my eyes on the floor as he led me from his room and out the back door. The cold night air and the steam of the nearby hot spring hit my skin at the same time, making me shiver as it caused condensation to appear on my arms. Kyoya walked us past the main baths and down a cobblestone path. At the end of the path, there was a much more private bath that was about twice the size of a large jacuzzi.

We both stared at the water for a moment, realizing what was next. Kyoya was the first to speak. "I'll...close my eyes."

When I was sure his eyes were closed, I removed my red robe and quickly stepped into the hot water. Sitting on a ledge in the spring, it made the water go to my shoulders. I sighed. "Okay, I'm done."

He opened his eyes and stared down at me with slight humor. Putting my hands in front of my face, I heard the sound of his towel dropping and the slight splash as he stepped into the water. I waited to open my eyes when I felt the water closest to me begin to move. He was sitting on the ledge as well, about a foot from me. He took off his glasses and placed them on the rock behind us before closing his eyes and relaxing in the water. How he was able to relax in a situation like this is beyond me.

"Does this make you uncomfortable?" He asked almost right away. He opened his eyes and looked down at me. The light that nearby lanterns were bringing reflected off the water, helping me see his face.

I blushed. "Yes, kind of."

He unabashedly scooted closer to me until we were a mere inch or two apart before leaning down and kissing my lips softly. When he leaned back, he smirked. "Don't worry. I'm won't do anything untoward to you. Unless...you want me to."

He seemed even more satisfied when my face flushed as crimson as my silk robe that sat on the ground near the hot spring. I can't even begin to describe how exposed I feel right now. In spite of that feeling, I had no intention of demanding we return inside. Something about the entire experience was inviting and I found myself leaning closer to him. His eyes narrowed slightly, desire in them. I felt his hand reach behind my head and take hold of my hair. Bringing my face forward, he only lightly brushed his lips against mine. When I tried to deepen the kiss, he kept my face in place with my hair. After a moment, he leaned back.

"Try not to get carried away." He murmured, the desire even more prominent. "I'm trying very hard to remain a gentleman."

I rolled my eyes. "You threw gentleman out the window when you told me you'd make me go skinny dipping with you if I lost the bet."

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Perhaps you're right. It's possible that I focus a little too much on the fact that you're my fiance and not enough of the fact that you've only known me for about a month."

He bowed his head in apology, his eyes closing for a moment. Lifting his head back up, he opened his eyes and leaned away and until we were sitting a foot from eachother again. I smiled at him shyly. Well, of all the guys I could be with, at least he had a fair amount of self control.

Sinking a little deeper into the water, I thought through what he had just said. "Do you think that everyone will find out by the time we get back in town?" I asked eventually, my eyes on the water.

"It's a serious possibility, yes. But not definite." He told me. "There's that certain point you get to when you have to act before anyone else does. Chances are, my father will make a public announcement right away and announce it once again at the gala."

I sighed. "We really aren't helping matters when we act so close all the time."

"The true mistake we made was agreeing to the dare we started on the plane. Something like that doesn't just go in one ear and out the other. They spread big rumors like that. But there's nothing we can do about it now except allow my father to do some damage control." He paused, his dark eyes looking in the direction of the onsen house but not really seeing it. "I know my father said that he wants us to remain here and pretend nothing is wrong but that might be dangerous. Not dangerous as in harm will befall you or anything. Just...dangerous for my family's image. If people find out where we are and start stalking us and taking pictures, we'll eventually be caught in a bad situation and have a lot to own up to."

"You mean a bad situation like this." I said and gestured to the two of us and then the open bath we sat in.

His eyes tightened. "Yes. Exactly. We really should be getting back in. You're very flushed."

Nodding, I covered my eyes and waited for him to exit the bath. A few seconds later, he tapped my shoulder and I looked up. He had put back on his towel and his glasses and was now holding my robe out for me with his eyes closed. Beginning to stand, I slightly wobbled. Catching myself on the edge of the bath, I got out slowly and put my arms through the robe before tying it around me. He opened his eyes and gave me a smile that made my pulse hammer.

Accepting the extra towel he was holding out, I wrapped it around my shoulders and was about to walk towards the onsen when everything began to spin. I saw myself falling towards the little hot spring but was suddenly caught by Kyoya. He held onto my upper arms, keeping me from falling face first. He pulled me back and lifted me effortlessly into his arms.

"Dizzy..." I mumbled, my arms hanging by my sides as he carried me to the onsen.

"You were in the water too long." He told me with a slight smirk.

When we made it back to the onsen, Kyoya first began to carry me towards my room. Unfortunately, one of the chaperones were in that hallway, doing a quick hall check. The teacher didn't appear to be checking rooms thankfully. Kyoya quickly backed up and carried me to his own room. Opening the door he quickly sat me on the edge of his bed and went to shut and lock the door.

We stayed very still as the footsteps of one of the chaperones walked into this particular hallway. I hardly breathed when the steps actually stopped right outside of Kyoya's room door. For five painfully long seconds, the person stayed outside the door before walking on ahead. When the steps were nothing more than taps in the distance, I breathed out.

We both let out shaky laughs when we were sure that we were in the clear. "I'll take you to your room now." He told me and offered me his hand. Accepting it, he had just pulled me up to my feet when the steps began to return. We froze once again and listen to them walk right past the door and down another hallway. Kyoya raised an eyebrow and eyed a dark robe hanging on a hook in the room. He put it on and carefully opened the door.

"Mr. Tenokichi?" He called. The footsteps returned to this hallway once more. "Mr. Tenokichi, are you alright?"

I heard the teacher walk right past Kyoya. Kyoya leaned back in the room and shut and locked the door. "Is he alright?" I asked.

He looked at me with a blank expression. "He's sleepwalking."

I blinked. "Then is it safe for me to just walk right to my room?"

He seemed uncertain. "When I called his name, he walked this way. It's as if he registered that someone had called him yet couldn't keep the thought in his mind since he continued to walk past the door. He seemed almost alert. I'm afraid he might wake if we just walked right out into the hall and took you to your room. Or worse. He might remember everything he heard and saw when he wakes up in the morning. Some sleepwalkers are like that."

"Then I'm stuck in here?" I asked in semi panic. Oh no...


	23. Honesty

**I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF BY APOLOGIZING FOR TAKING SO UNBELIEVEABLY LONG TO UPDATE. SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED THESE SEVERAL MONTHS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR ME TO FOCUS ON WRITING. A BIG THING IS...**

**I'M ENGAGED! :D MY WEDDING WILL MOST LIKELY BE SOMETIME NEXT YEAR AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER.**

**ON TO THE STORY, THEN. HERE'S A BIT OF A CHAPTER TO GET YOU BACK INTO READING AND THE NEXT ONE WILL BE EVEN MORE EXCITING, I PROMISE.**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. ENJOY!**

**Chapter 23**

"_Then I'm stuck in here?" I asked in semi panic. Oh no..._

"What if someone finds out I'm in here and gets the wrong idea? I don't even have night clothes or anything with me." I said nervously.

He walked over and placed a hand on the top of my head. "Relax. I'll make sure you're safe in your room by sunrise." His words didn't entirely erase my fears but it helped me stop panicking. He took his hand from my head and walked over to his closet. He leaned down and began to sort through his suitcase. He first pulled out a pair of black pajama bottoms, a pair of black boxers and then a light gray t-shirt. He glanced at me. "I'm not sure what I have that will fit you. Your waist is too small to fit any of my bottoms except maybe a pair of boxers..."

In the end, he pulled out another pair of dark boxers and a white, short sleeved button up shirt. He handed both to me and I blushed. "Thank you." I murmured and stood up carefully. I wasn't dizzy anymore, thankfully. Walking to his bathroom door, I shut myself in and leaned against the wall in front of the mirror. I took a shaky breath as I took note of my disheveled appearance. My face was flushed and my hair looked slightly messy.

Weighing my options, I chose to jump in the shower for a few minutes before trying to go back out there and face him this soon. Using a sort of moisturizer in my hair that had the onsen's logo on it, I rinsed my hair out and exited the shower. Quickly changing and brushing through my hair with a fine toothed comb sitting on the counter, I gargled with the mouthwash and exited the bathroom.

Kyoya was sitting at the table when I came into the room, already dressed for bed. Instead of attempting to dry all the pieces, he was throwing them all into a wastebasket. Sitting beside him at the table, I looked over all of the remaining pieces. It was depressing, even if it wasn't my computer. It really was a nice piece of equipment that he spent a lot of money on so I hope the twins actually agree to pay him back. There's no way I'd be able to without taking out a massive loan.

"I'm sorry again about your computer." I said softly.

He finished putting the final piece in the wastebasket before looking up at me with a serene smile. "I swear, I'm not angry. The files can easily be replaced and, one way or another, the twins will be the ones to pay for a new computer. Though... it really was your fault as well for letting them take it. Maybe I should create a little debt for you too." He began to smirk. I wasn't sure at all if he was joking or not.

I glared as convincingly as I could. "You said you wouldn't charge me."

He shrugged and leaned to the side. Propping his elbow on the table. "It wouldn't be a large debt. You seemed rather determined to make it up to me earlier."

I grimaced. "How much do I have to pay off?"

He smirked and shook his head. "You are very gullible, did you know that?"

Blushing, I swatted his arm. "Stop teasing me."

His smirk stretched into almost a full grin. "But how can I help myself? It's too easy." I had reached up and let my hand swing to hit his arm again but he caught my wrist before I could. Holding my wrist gently but firmly between his fingers, he brought it to his face and ran his lips across the underside of my forearm. Shivering, I let him pull me forward by my arm until I was close enough that he could wrap his arms around me and sit me in his lap.

I blushed as he leaned in and planted a careful kiss on my mouth before trailing a few along my jaw. When his lips made it to my neck, I began to squirm a little. "Kyoya?" I whispered. I was enjoying the attention but I really didn't want to get carried away. I was stuck in his room for possibly most of the night so there needed to be some boundaries.

"What is it?" He murmured against my skin before leaving more scorching kisses on my neck and then on my shoulder. How could he make my skin feel this fiery when he was using such a featherlight touch?

As I was about to speak, Kyoya actually bit my shoulder. Not enough to hurt, but enough to startle me. Gasping and jumping, I pulled away and gave him a cautious look. "We need to calm it down. If we're going to be stuck here together, there needs to be some boundaries."

His eyes tensed a little but he didn't let go of my waist. At least he stopped assaulting my neck. "You're right."

After a minute, when he still hadn't released me, I chose to wiggle out of his arms, rather reluctantly, I might add. Standing up, I bit my lip and tried to think of something, anything that could distract us from eachother. Unfortunately, his computer was nothing more than scrap metal now so we couldn't spend any time on that.

"If being in my room makes you this uncomfortable, I'll gladly take you to your own." He offered after a minute of watching me stand there. Looking over my shoulder, I shook my head.

"I'll be fine. I...think I'm just going to go to bed." Turning off the light switch, I scurried over to the bed and climbed in on the left hand side. When the covers were tightly around me, I could hear Kyoya shuffle around in the dark. Not even a full twenty seconds later, I felt the bed indent when he sat too. My face lit up brightly as he situated himself in the comforter before laying down beside me.

"Good night." He murmured.

"Good night." My voice sounded very winded all of a sudden. Turning so that my back faced him, I began to wonder why I was so uncomfortable now but not uncomfortable when we shared the hotel room bed last night. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm wearing his clothes.

When I felt his arms snake around my waist and pull me against him, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. He chuckled. "Your heart is pounding so loud, I can hear it from here. Are you sure you want to stay here tonight?"

Taking a deep breath, I mentally yelled at myself. "Yes, I'm fine." I said quickly before shutting my eyes and trying to imagine that I was by myself. It was difficult to do, especially when I felt his lips on my neck once again. He wasn't kissing me really, just resting his face in the crook of my neck.

"When you were still living in New Jersey, did you have a lot of accidents?" He suddenly asked. "What I mean is are you naturally a klutz or does that have everything to do with me? Just something I've wondered about for a while."

I laughed softly. "I'm not a klutz. It's just...luck. My dad used to say I had a seishin following me around. He was joking, of course. There are people with worse luck than me."

"I think it takes a little more than a spirit to cause that sort of luck. In the past week, you've been pushed down the stairs, nearly choked to death, nearly trapped in a water logged cave and almost..." He trailed off. He didn't need to say the last part. It was something I wasn't going to quite forget for a long time. I'm just lucky it didn't go as far as it would have without the help of the Host Club.

"Could I ask you a question?" I spoke up after another few minutes of silence.

"Of course."

"The first day we met. Did you already know who I was?"

He was silent for a few seconds before answering. "I did. I met your brother the night he brought you to Japan. He found my entire family having dinner and immediately introduced itself to the table. His company has been here long enough for my father to know him by name and it was that alone that allowed him to sit with us and make his proposal for his own company to merge with my father's."

"What did your father say when he asked?"

"He wondered what would convince your brother that he had any right to make such a proposal. Ootori Co. has been around for the past fifty years and consists of ten different branches, including medical, scientific affiliation and hotel ownership. Yukimura Inc. is a medical only company and has only existed in Japan for a year. Your brother claimed to be the grandson of Isao Yukimura, which my father had suspicions about for a while. Your brother also said that Isao Yukimura's granddaughter had just arrived in the country. As soon as my father heard that, he told him to go away. My father took that evening to consider his options and called your brother the next morning to set up a meeting."

"And at which point during that did your father tell you to stay away from me?"

Kyoya held me tighter. "As soon as your brother left. He specifically said to avoid you at all costs, just in case we decided to have nothing to do with the Yukimura's. I'm not sure what all you know about your grandfather since this is your first visit to Japan but he isn't a very kind man and we try not to affiliate ourselves with anyone connected to him. He steals companies from people as powerful as my father and he's so wealthy, he can do it on a whim. He's done it for the past twenty-five years. He's even more infamous for heavy drinking than my father and it's part of the reason your grandmother was able to obtain a divorce."

I turned around in his arms quickly, trying to make out his features in the darkness. "How do you know all this?"

"I'm not without my resources. As soon as I determined that I wouldn't force you out of my life, I immediately did some research on you...I'm sorry to hear about your father. I've felt I should have told you that for a long time but it never felt like the right time to explain how I knew."

I grimaced. "You could have told me all this right away. I would have understood. What else do you know?"

"I know that you lived in Montclair, New Jersey with your mother, father and grandmother on your father's side up until you turned fifteen. After that, you continued to live with your mother and grandmother up until your brother took you to Japan."

"I didn't even know I had a brother or that my father had been previously married until he showed up for my seventeenth birthday." I told him.

"I'm sorry. That must have been very hard on you. If you'd like, I do know a little more about your father's previous family."

I tensed. I did want to know this but...it still hurt to know he never told me. Me, who he told everything to. I wondered how many times he would have, if I had been a more understanding person. I hope he was proud of me and would still be for the choices I've made. "Tell me."

"As I've discovered, he traveled to the states after your grandparents divorced and attended high school at a very prestigious private school in New York. They accepted him quickly when they discovered that he had attended Ouran Academy since pre school. After graduating from high school, he returned to Japan and he was suddenly back in the scene. They even made an exception and accepted him into Ouran Academy's college. He was present at any sort of events his father was at and eventually, news of his engagement to a woman named Chiasa Matsumata circulated. They were married for exactly a year when the divorce happened. They had a three month old son, your brother."

"How could she get away with that?" I whispered. "Wouldn't my grandfather have retaliated for her demanding a divorce."

"He didn't. Your father demanded the divorce and ran back to the states as soon as he got it. Considering what year that took place and considering your age, I'm guessing you came along not too long after that."

I stiffened in Kyoya's arms. Sitting upright, I broke from his hold and covered my mouth. "But that's not right...Mark said that his mother left my dad. He said that she ran off with him."

I felt Kyoya's hand on my back. "All I know is that after the divorce, Chiasa Matsumata disappeared from the public eye along with her son. It was after your brother began creating his company that any news of he or his mother surfaced. It turns out they had gone to New York and had lived on the money given to them at the time of the divorce. That money is what helped Mark begin his company and his connections to his mother and father's family is what made it what it is today."

"I wonder if Mark knows any of this. I wonder what my mom knows that she hasn't told me. I've grown up thinking that my mother and father met at a museum in New York while he was still in college."

"That might be true. There are records that say he finished his college education in New Jersey. Your birth came exactly eleven months after his divorce to his first wife. That means he could have started going to college and met your mother within the first month."

"But why New Jersey? Why would a man who has spent his entire life in the lap of luxury suddenly decide to settle down there? I've...I've got to know. I need answers to these questions."

He wrapped his arms around my shoulders. "There's nothing you can do now. It's best to wait until morning. Then you can call your brother and your mother and sort this out."

I wasn't even the slightest bit calm but I did allow Kyoya to pull me back down under the covers. He engulfed me in his arms and ran his fingers through my hair until I was fast asleep. Restless dreams considered, I woke early the next morning with a new sense of determination. It was only after I snuck back into my own room and changed for the day that the weight of what was to come finally hit. Grabbing my phone, I walked outside and slipped on a pair of geta before hurrying over to the bridge that went over the koi pond.

As I located the number in my phone, my heart hammered without cease. Pressing the phone to my ear, I nearly lost will when she picked up. "Avianna?"

"Mom."

"How are you, honey? How's school?" She asked. So Mark hasn't told her about me going to Okinawa. "School's about to start. Shouldn't you be heading there now?"

"It's only seven fifteen. I've got time. I need to talk to you about something."

"Yes?"

Taking a deep breath, I let it out and began the inquiry. "How did you meet dad?"

She let out that breezy laugh she normally does when she's feeling nervous. "You know how."

"Mom...I mean how did you really meet him? He divorced his first wife eleven months before I was born. Either you didn't know him that long at all when you married him or something isn't adding up."

She was silent for a long while. Drumming my fingers on the wood of the bridge's hand rail, I waited. Finally, she sighed. "Avianna, your father and I knew eachother six months before we married. I did meet him before he left his wife. Yes...I knew. I spent a semester of college in Tokyo and I met him almost right away and...I don't know. I was just so charmed with him and I knew it was wrong. He told me he was married but we couldn't help it."

"You guys had an affair?" I asked softly.

"Yes. It lasted until it was time for me to return to the states and we kept up a long distance relationship through phone calls. When he told me he planned on divorcing his wife for me at threat of disinheritance, we had a long fight about it. I loved him at that point and in the end, I agreed to marry him as soon as he left Japan and met up with me in New Jersey. I helped him finish his college education at the college I attended, just like I told you. You came nearly a year after we married and by the time you were old enough to understand, we had finished college and-"

"And got your story straight." I finished.

I heard her sniff. "Oh, Avianna...We didn't mean to hurt you. It was just so much for even us to handle that we couldn't possibly consider putting it on your shoulders. The reason your father had such a hard time getting a job is because he wasn't a U.S. citizen. It wasn't until you turned five that he officially was and even then, he didn't have much luck with any job he took on. When he got sick... Your grandfather sent him fifty thousand U.S. dollars for his treatment. It helped but in the end..."

"I understand..." I whispered. "Does Mark know much about this?"

"I told him everything he didn't know the night of your birthday party, after you went to sleep. He knew quite a bit to begin with."

"Is Mark still in contact with my grandfather?"

This question, she didn't seem to expect. "I'm not sure. He didn't say much about him."

"Thank you for being honest with me this time. I needed to hear this."

"I love you so much, sweetheart. I want you to know that your father and I planned on telling you once you turned eighteen, after you were old enough to travel to Japan on your own."

"I love you too. Since you're being honest with me, I'll be honest with you. I placed number one in my grade for this quarter."

"Avianna, that's wonderful! Why didn't you tell me? Mark said you placed eleventh."

I sighed. "He didn't want you to worry. You do that a lot. I won a spot on the trip to Okinawa. I've been here since Saturday and I'm still alive."

"You should have told me. Really. I would have worried but-"

"But would you have let me go without Mark? I know you don't want to hear this but he's a busy man. He has to work a lot and I'm usually left to my own devices. He has a ton of hired help that look after me."

She tsked. "I have a right to worry about you. You're only seventeen and thousands of miles away from your mother. I'm not ever told anything until much later. If you just keep me in the loop, I'll worry less."

Pacing back across the bridge, I caught sight of Kyoya walking outside and approaching me. He paused about ten feet away, giving me my space. "I've made some good friends. Their names are Mina, Rinae, Haruhi, Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Honey, Mori and Kyoya."

She laughed. "That's a lot of people. I'm happy for you, honey. You think any of them are lasting friends?"

"A couple in particular. Haruhi comes from a common background like me. She's really great. And Kyoya...Let's just say I've got my first crush."

"You know how I feel about boys. I know you're growing up but be smart."

"Trust me, you'll love him." I smiled.

"What's he like?"

"Handsome, smart. Very smart. A gentleman too." Usually, I nearly said. I doubt my mom would appreciate hearing that. "He's one of a kind."

"Is he one of those rich kids you said you'd never fit in with?"

"Yes. His father owns a massive company that centers around hospitals as far as I can tell. He'll probably inherit something or other when he graduates."

"Avianna...Just remember that the people who go to that school have their futures planned for them. He'll not be able to keep up a relationship with you. I think it might be best not to let yourself get attached."

If she didn't sound so serious, I probably would have accidentally laughed. I wasn't ready to tell my mother that I'm the girl he's going to marry but she'd learn that eventually. "I know that. I'm being cautious but he's really something."

"I'm sure he is." She said over a loud beeping sound in the background. "That's my beeper. It's time for me to head to work. I'm begging you, stay safe. Keep with your chaperone and don't wonder off. Call me if anything at all happens. Promise?"

"I promise. I love you. Have fun at work."

"Love you too."

As soon as I heard the click of her hanging up, I shut my phone at dropped it into the pocket of my jean skirt. Looking back at Kyoya, I wasn't surprised that he had walked onto the bridge with me already. He wrapped his arms around me and let me rest my head on his chest for a few minutes.

"How'd it go?" He finally asked.

"Better than expected. She told me everything. I thought I'd get all emotional and cry but I was able to take everything in. She only cried a little."

"You told her about me?"

I nodded against him. "Yeah. She should know how incredible you are. It'll help cushion the news of our engagement."

"Are you sure you're happy with me?" He asked tentatively.

Leaning back just enough to look into his eyes, I smiled. "I'm happier than I've been in years. It's still a little overwhelming knowing what's expected of us but that doesn't change how I feel about you."

"My feelings exact." He chuckled softly. "Do you know when you'll begin telling her?"

"Obviously I can't yet. I figure that it's best to wait until she's heard more about you. I could keep bringing you up and announce it to her, face to face, when she and my grandmother are invited to Japan for the Ootori family gala."

"It seems the most logical way. You should do your best to keep your brother from telling her."

"He wouldn't. She'd come straight to Japan and demand I return home. We've still got time. This sort of thing shouldn't reach my mother's ears all the way in America. If we play our cards right, the first time she'll hear of it is when I tell her myself."

"That's sooner than you think. The gala is only a couple weeks away and the public will find out long before that."

"I understand that. I'll do my best to get her to see why this has to happen. If I can't manage, I could always let Mark take over. Wait, bad idea...He'll be so careless about it, she'll start screaming. More than she already will be anyway."

"If your mother understands as much about your father's life as she claims to, she'll come around."

Somewhere within the onsen, a gong was struck, signaling that it was time to wake and that the serving of breakfast had commenced. My stomach chose then to let out a rather loud grumble. I blushed. "I think it's breakfast time."

He offered his arm, a very charming smile forming on his ridiculously handsome face. "Shall we head in?"

Taking his arm, I pushed all of the stress to the back of my mind and enjoyed the time I have to spend with Kyoya before the entire country finds out about the engagement.


	24. Back To Tokyo

**I'M SO HAPPY TO STILL HAVE READERS LEFT. :) THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONGRATULATIONS.**

**SORRY IT TOOK A FEW DAYS TO UPDATE. HERE'S CHAPTER 24.**

**Chapter 24**

Avianna's POV:

The remainder of the trip was quite enjoyable. It passed with no nonsense for me or Kyoya, who is currently ordering a replacement laptop with the money Hikaru and Kaoru shelled out. I'm not sure what he told them to get them to be so cooperative and I probably don't want to know.

I had hoped that Haruhi and Tamaki would be even closer to one another by now but they seemed to be at an impasse. Both were content to sit close to one another, cheeks flushed and tongues tied. I made plans to get Haruhi alone at some point and ask her exactly what went on between her and him when he ran after her back at the big hotel.

"Do not forget to check your bags!" Mr. Kino ordered as we all walked through the airport. Placing my suitcase in the appropriate location, I went to sit and wait for the doors to open.

I sighed. This is it. After today, nothing will be the same. While the news of Kyoya's and my engagement had begun to circulate, it would be common knowledge by the end of tomorrow's press conference. I shuddered to think about the enemies I would obtain. Megumi would be back in school by now and, if the school decided to not risk angering Hiro's family, so would he. Ren would also be around and all of Kyoya's guests. That's just counting people from my school and not anyone of an outside party that wished to harm the Ootori family.

As my nerves began to sky rocket, Kyoya sat beside me and put an arm around my waist. "Your worrying."

I flushed. "No, I'm not."

"I can tell. It's written all over your face. Trust me when I say that it won't be as bad as you think."

I placed my head in my hands. "But it will still be bad. I'm not sure if you've noticed but I'm racking up a big enemy list."

"_Attention! Flight 430 to Tokyo is now boarding!" _The intercom announced, cutting our conversation short. Making our way towards the plane, I went right back to thinking of how everything would change. Everything. I'm not even sure how Mina or Rinae will react.

Once I had entered the plane, I walked into the private room and buckled myself in the seat right next to the door. I knew that Kyoya knew that my mood had not changed and both of us, for a change, chose to ignore it. After all, if him trying to cheer me up didn't work the first several times, why now?

When the plane was in the air and we were free to move about the cabin, I took a seat at the desk and brought my own laptop from my carry-on bag. Connecting it to the internet, I opened Google and typed in what I hoped would give me a link announcing the engagement. Once it hit the internet, it increased the chances of my mother finding out early. She seemed to be responding well to everything I've been telling her about him but it wasn't enough yet.

_Kyoya Ootori engagement._

Several results popped up, only three of which being the exact thing I was looking for. It was posted on the websites of two different news shows and a gossip column. "It's spreading more slowly than expected. We most likely have my father to thank for that."

I wasn't surprised to hear him right behind me. He tended to ghost up to me like that. "It doesn't change the fact that we need to hold a press conference. Do you know if I'll be expected to speak? I don't know if I'll be able to without fainting."

"The only one expected to speak is my father. Don't worry. You should try to forget about this for a while. Why don't you come over to the couches and we'll play a game."

Shutting the laptop reluctantly, I sighed. "What do you have in mind?"

"Cards?" Haruhi recommended as she walked to stand beside the computer desk.

The twins groaned. "Not cards. We played that all day yesterday."

"Then what do you want to play?" Haruhi asked.

"Truth or dare?" The twins grinned.

"No." Kyoya said quickly. "No more truth or dare. That's caused enough trouble already."

"What about scary stories?" Haruhi recommended. Walking over to the door, she flicked off the room's light, leaving nothing but the light of a wall lamp above the desk. That, we all agreed to. Gathering to the sofas, I snuggled up against Kyoya while Haruhi tapped her finger to her chin, trying to pick a story to tell.

"Want me to go first?" Hikaru asked with a smirk after a few minutes of silence. A quick glare from Haruhi put him back in his place.

"Alright. This is the story of Oiwa. Oiwa was a beautiful young woman who fell in love with her childhood sweetheart, Lemon. They married and, even though they were poor, had a happy marriage. Not long after Oiwa began to expect a baby, Lemon had grown to resent his life of poverty and his wife. It was then that he met Oume, another beautiful woman that he decided to have an affair with. Soon, Oume fell in love with Lemon. One night, Oume's rich father came to Lemon and told him of his daughter's feelings and how he wished that Lemon were not married so that he could marry Oume.

This got Lemon thinking. If he could rid himself of Oiwa and his unborn child, he would be free to marry Oume and live the rest of his life in lavish comfort. Determining to poison her, he slipped it into her food and encouraged her to eat, claiming she needed to be strong for their child, who would soon be born. The poison worked fast and Oiwa lay unconscious on the floor. Lemon carried her to bed, unable to finish the job he had originally set out to do. The poison was strong and it disfigured Oiwa's face and killed the child inside her, but it did not take her life.

Lemon played the part of the doting husband well. Still determined to kill Oiwa, he took her on a walk one evening to a cliff. There, he pushed her off it. She fell to her death and her body was discovered later. Lemon spent all the money he had for her funeral determined to keep the blame off him and knowing that he would be compensated for his spending by Oume's father. He went to live with Oume after Oiwa's death. The night before his wedding, he was laying in bed, reading. Suddenly, in the light of the lamp on his bedside table, he saw the disfigured face of Oiwa.

'Betrayal!' she hissed. In fear, Lemon hit the face and Oiwa vanished, leaving nothing but a broken lamp. He thought he heard laughter from outside but he assumed it was because of everything he drunk earlier and went to bed. The next morning, Oume and Lemon were to wed. While in the chapel, Lemon lifted Oume's veil to see the face of Oiwa. 'Betrayal!' she hissed again.

In blind fear, he took his sword and swung at her, taking off the head of his bride. Running from the chapel, he hid himself in his home. When Oume's grandfather arrived, he demanded Lemon open the door. When Lemon complied, Oiwa's face was on Oume's grandfather's body. Lemon hit him with the sword too, taking off his head.

All the while, Oiwa's echoing laughter was everywhere. Lemon ran and ran, through the woods where he eventually stopped at the very cliff he had pushed Oiwa off. Some say they saw a woman push him off before jumping with him. To this day, if you find that cliff and stand over the edge, you'll hear her sick laugh. But beware...you too could become the victim of Oiwa, the jaded wife."

As Haruhi's story came to a close, a collective shiver went through the room. Honey burrowed in Mori senpai's side while Tamaki was practically trying to hug the stuffing out of Haruhi.

"I've heard of that cliff." Tamaki whimpered. "It's just outside of Kyoto."

While it had the right kind of chill to it, mostly because of how well Haruhi told it, it wasn't as scary as I would have liked. If we had been standing on that cliff when we heard the story, then I would have been frightened. After that, the twins told their story and then Honey. By the time the plane landed, I was shaking. Honey was small like a child but he can tell a pretty good ghost story.

Once we had exited the plane, the creepy vibe had lifted and I was able to focus on other things, like tomorrow's press conference. Kyoya seemed, for the most part, at ease. He's accustomed to the stress that comes with wealth and position and I buckle under the stress that comes with something as simple as a math quiz.

"Don't think about it." He whispered as we left the airport with our bags in tow. We hadn't been outside for a full minute before limos started to pile in, ready to pick everyone up. Kyoya's limo was in the first few. His driver stepped out and went round to open the door for him. He turned to me. "You never called for a ride, did you?"

I shook my head. "Mark would find it a big inconvenience to spare Mr. Kobayashi for any amount of time."

He set his mouth in a thin line in an attempt to mask his disapproval. "My father may decide to arrange something for you once the engagement is a public matter. Perhaps a chauffeur of your own and a personal maid."

Climbing into the back of the limo with Kyoya, I tried to assure him that I was well taken care of without much luck. Finally, I sighed. "Well, if you believe I'm lacking something, what do you suggest that doesn't involve you paying for everything out of your own pocket?"

"I suggest you leave it to me. By tomorrow, your brother will see that seven maids are enough and all he needs to do is distribute their duties better."

"How do you know we have seven maids?"

He smirked slightly. "I have my resources. The Yukimura estate rests in a gated community known as the Raionheddo with two other estates and currently has seven maids, three butlers and a chauffeur in its employment. In a single day, the maids spend their time cleaning while you are left on your own. I am correct."

I frowned. "You are correct."

"I also feel it is safe to guess that, while your brother uses the staff to keep his own rooms in order, you are left to keep your own clean and have to go as far as to ask for your clothing to be taken to the cleaners before anything will be done about it."

"I don't mind that, though. I'm already used to cleaning my own room and most of my clothes can be thrown in with the regular laundry. Only my uniform needs professional cleaning."

"Nonetheless, it's not what is expected of you. You are a Yukimura and a soon-to-be Ootori. That means you must keep up certain appearances. About your clothes..."

I looked down at my jeans and t-shirt combination. "What about them? I dress modest enough."

"Not that. You dress like...how do I put this nicely?"

"Like a commoner?" I finished.

"I don't mind the way you dress, Avianna. It's only how you're expected to that makes me bring this up and you only need to dress in a more notable manner when in the company of my father."

I sighed. "I guess I can handle that. I'll need to go shopping, though."

"That, I can arrange." He said before bringing his phone out and texting something quickly.

"Kyoya-"

"Like I said..." He interrupted. Taking my hand in his, he kissed it quickly. "Leave it to me."

"But-" I tried but he silenced me with a kiss.

A little lightheaded, all I could do is stare up at him as our moment was interrupted by a phone call. Giving me an apologetic look, he picked him cell phone up and answered. "Yes...Exactly...She'll need at least ten new outfits and three party dresses...Wait until later for that one...She'll be ready for fitting by five. Try not to take too long...Thank you."

Hanging up, he brought out his little black notebook from his bag and wrote something down.

"What was that all about?" I asked after a minute of silence.

"It won't be a problem sparing an hour this evening, will it? I've arranged for one of my family's chauffeurs to pick you up at five and take you to my tailor's workshop for measuring. They've informed me that they might already have something in your size made and might send you home with it."

"Yeah, I guess." I frowned. "It seems like too much fuss."

"You'll feel that way at first. It won't take long to grow accustomed to it." He assured me but I wasn't that convinced. How does someone get used to constantly being waited on. I guess I understand what they mean when they say that the lifestyle of the rich can be too much for the common person.

Before I knew it, we were pulling into the gated community and right up to Mark's house. As soon as Kyoya helped me out and began walking me to the door, it opened for us and Mari stepped out. She smiled. "Welcome home, Avianna. Mark isn't here at the moment. I'm making some tea. Would your friend like to come inside for tea?"

"This is Kyoya. I've told you about him." I explained before turning back to Kyoya once we reached the door. "Would you like to come in? Mari makes great tea."

He gave Mari one of his more genuine smiles. "Thank you very much. I'd love to but my father has given me orders to return home right away."

Mari accepted my suitcase from Kyoya. "Perfectly understandable. You're welcome any time."

Kyoya bowed his head to me. "Your ride will arrive at five. Have a wonderful afternoon."

I nodded, wanting to kiss him but figuring that would be a little awkward in front of Mari. "See you at school, Monday?"

He smiled again. "Oh, you'll see me before that."

With that mysterious little comment hanging in the air, he left me with Mari, who ushered me inside and offered me a steaming cup of lemon Oolong tea. After I had taken a few sips, she placed a bowl of teriyaki topped rice in front of me before sitting across from me.

"Was your trip enjoyable?"

I nodded. "Very. My favorite part was probably when we went scuba diving and cave spelunking on Ishigaki island."

She grinned. "How fun. You know, I think it's safe to say that Mark missed you. He seemed confused every time he returned home from work and you weren't around. The first night, he asked where you were."

I rolled my eyes. "He forgot where I was that quickly?"

"He's been very distracted lately. I'm sure he didn't mean to forget."

The sound of the front door opening and closing alerted us both. When Mark walked into view and headed right for us, I sighed. "There you are. Have you been informed about tomorrow's press conference?"

"Yes, I've been told."

"Find something nice to wear for it. Buy something if you need to."

I turned away from him, miffed. "I can handle it."

"Mari, will you please see that we have something nice planned for dinner. I've taken the liberty of inviting of Mr. Ootori and his youngest son for the evening. Dinner should be served at seven."

Mari bowed her head. "Right away. I'll plan the menu and bring you a copy right away."

Mark walked away then and shut himself in the parlor. Mari looked down at her half finished bowl of food before picking it up and carrying it into the kitchen with her, leaving me to feel miffed about Mark's bossy behavior and curious about how Kyoya seemed to already know about tonight's dinner when I didn't. He's hardly had a moment away from me for the past few days. That must be what he meant when he said we'd see eachother before Monday.

By the time five o'clock rolled around, I had finished unpacking my suitcase, taking a shower and and calling my mother to keep her up to date on everything she was currently allowed to know. Heading outside, I waited at the end of the sidewalk until a shiny black town car with a golden 'O' on the side pulled up.

The driver rolled down his window. "Miss. Yukimura? I'm Hikata Rijo. The young master has sent me to pick you up."

"Thank you." I smiled before getting in the back. As we pulled onto the main road and headed directly for downtown Tokyo, I leaned back and tried to enjoy the scenery.

Just as I felt like I might be able to fall asleep, the town car stopped. "We've arrived, Miss."

"Thank you, Mr. Rijo." I called as I shook myself awake and stepped out of the car to stand in front of a large department building. The sign above the doors read 'Hamada Tailoring Company'.

The doors suddenly opening caused me to take a step back. Stepping out of the building was a woman dressed to the nines in a designer pantsuit. She gave me a dazzling smile. "Hello, I'm Mineko Hamada. You must be Miss. Yukimura. Young master Ootori said that you'll need to be outfitted for a few upcoming special occasions."

"Nice to meet you. My name's Avianna."

Putting an arm around my shoulders, she led me inside a lavish waiting room with a large fountain in the center. The walls were painted a pale, relaxing blue, the floors a highly polished light shade of wood. Sitting on soft white lounge sofas were a few women reading magazines, waiting their turn. The woman immediately escorted me to a set of painted glass doors, which were opened by two women dressed in white standing within them.

"Welcome." They said in unison. Overwhelmed, I stepped through into another waiting room that was even more lavishly decorated. Walking right through it, another door was opened to show a large dressing room. To the left was a seating area, to the right a whole wall of mirrors. In the center of the room was a small wooden stage and against the far wall was a set of floral pictures above a small table containing an elaborate bouquet of almost amethyst colored roses.

"The flowers sitting on the table are a gift for you." She said. "If you'll excuse me for a moment. I'll have my assistant bring you some light refreshments."

Before I knew it, she had shut the door and I was on my own. Curious, I walked up to the bouquet and read the little white card with red writing placed within it.

_I hope the likeness to your_

_eyes is close enough._

_Until this evening,_

_Kyoya_

I flushed scarlet, once again charmed by him. It was so strange to think that this sort of thing did not happen to me at all a month ago. Now I'm not only with someone I really like but engaged to them. How exactly I feel about that is still all jumbled up inside me.

The door opened then, knocking me from my reverie. Stepping inside the room was a girl about my age, maybe a little older, carrying a silver tea tray containing a tea pot, a tea cup and saucer and a small assortment of little cakes. She smiled before placing it on the coffee table in the seating area. "Here are your refreshments, Miss. Will there be anything else?"

I shook my head. "Not that I can think of."

Bowing her head, she quickly left the room in a mousy manner. I took the time while I waited for the tailor to arrive to drink some of the tea and eat a cake or two. When I had finished a little strawberry topped one, a knock came at the door before it immediately opened. It was Mineko Hamada again with a tape measure draped over one arm and a few pieces of clothing in another.

"Hello, again. If you wouldn't mind, shall we begin? Please stand in the center of the stage on the raised part."

Doing as she said, I stood there awkwardly while she helped me undress and put on a white slip dress that went about mid thigh. She measured my head, neck, bust, waist, hips, thighs and even the bottoms of my feet. I tried to not bother her with questions, even if I was really wondering why she measured some places. She also took out a collection of color wheels and first checked the tone of my skin, then my hair, eyes and even my lips.

"You're very pale. Darker colors would look very striking on you."

"I get my paleness from my mother." I explained.

"What about your eyes?" She asked.

"From my father." I said quickly, wanting to get it out before a lump formed in my throat.

"Your eyes are such a dominant feature and such a noticeable color that it almost rules out certain color options entirely." She sighed. "I recommend staying away from any shade of pink and anything in the lime green family. Darker shades of green and mint green are both fine. Do you have any favorite colors?"

"Purple." I answered quickly, surprising myself. Before moving to Japan, my favorite color had been blue. I wasn't foolish enough to not notice that the change in favorite color had taken place after I became closer with Kyoya.

She smiled. "Just as well. I have an idea of how I want to go about making this collection of outfits. I've got something for you to try on. Tell me what you think."

Picking up the black dress she had brought in off of the stage, she helped slip it over my head and zip it up. Tugging a pulling a little, she stepped back to admire the fit. It had a tight fitting scrunched bodice with straps that went towards the neck to the back where they criss-crossed and a skirt that flowed to mid thigh. The fabric was satin on top and chiffon under the skirt of the dress.

"Wow." I muttered.

"I knew it would fit. Ignore the slip showing and imagine this for tomorrow's press conference. It's a very subtle statement. It makes you look very grown up without overdoing it."

"I like it." I assured her, my mind back on the press conference that everyone seemed to know about.

"I'll wrap it up for you and have the roses sent to your address." She assured me before helping me remove it. As soon as I was back in my own clothing, she escorted me to the front. "I've got plans for a few dominant colors in your wardrobe. Specifically black and purple. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. Here's our card. We finished quicker than expected. Shall I call your ride for you?

"Yes, please." I told her as she placed a little blue business card in my hands. Nodding, she walked right back into the other waiting room, leaving me to take a seat on a nearby chair and read a magazine I had no interest in. She was quick to return with the black dress all wrapped up in a blue box.

Five minutes later, someone walked through the front doors. Looking up, I froze. Megumi... She didn't notice me at all as she went to take a seat on the couch right next to the chair I sat in. The only thing separating us was a side table with a lamp on it. As the seconds stretched into minutes, my heart pounded faster and faster. Just when my ride finally arrived and Mr. Rijo stepped inside, she finally noticed. "I thought that was you."

"Are you ready, Miss. Yukimura?" He asked with a concerned expression. I could only guess how terrified I looked right now.

Standing up quickly, I only was able to take a step when I felt her cold hand grab onto my arm. She yanked me around to face her and I softly yelped, much to her amusement.

She thinned her lips into a hard line, her extreme annoyance very apparent. "My cousin told me what happened on the trip. How dare you think you have any claim to him. What sort of blackmail do you have over him that he would pretend to be engaged to you?"

My fear was momentarily stopped as Mr. Rijo grabbed a hold of my arm and removed me from Megumi's grasp. "Come, Miss. Your ride awaits."

"Not yet." Megumi ordered but Mr. Rijo, bless him, didn't listen. He put a hand at the top of my back and escorted me right out of the building. Only when I was safely helped into the car and we were driving away did I relax any. When the trepidation faded, I felt my eyes begin to prickle. That was even more terrifying than flying midair after Megumi pushed me down the stairs. Not knowing if she was going to suddenly do something worse was what made it that scary.

"Thank you." I whispered to Mr. Rijo.

"Not a problem, Miss. Shall I take you home?"

I nodded, wiping away the tear on my cheek before it fell onto the blue box in my lap. Pulling my phone from my purse, I sent a text.

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**I ran into Megumi at the tailor's.**

He was even quicker to reply than expected.

**To: Me**

**From: Kyoya**

**Message:**

**What did she do? Are you alright?**

**I'm going to call you as soon as I leave**

**my father's office building.**

**To: Kyoya**

**From: Me**

**Message:**

**She confronted me and Mr. Rijo**

**intervened.**

A minute after sending that message, I received the call. I answered. "Hey."

"She didn't hurt you, did she?"

I glanced over at the part of my arm she had grabbed. There was slight bruising from how hard she held on but nothing lasting. "Not really."

"Tell me the truth, please."

I sighed. "A little. She's got a strong grip for someone with pink press on nails."

"If she's still this angry, school on Monday might be more difficult than I thought. It might be in your best interest to not leave my side."

"Do girls who get engaged to boys at Ouran normally have this much trouble?"

"Not nearly. This is the first time a host has ever been engaged. The club is recent after all. Only a few years old. I hate to run but it's time for me to prepare for dinner tonight. See you then."

"See you then." I whispered before the line went dead. It was just as well. We had already arrived at our destination. Opening the door, I stepped out after another big thank you to Mr. Rijo.

Inside the house, everyone was running about, cleaning this and that. Mark was walking out of the parlor then. "You're not ready?"

"I'll prepare now." I told him quickly, not wanting to deal with his mood swings. Running upstairs, I pulled a hanger from the closet and opened the box. Pulling out the black dress, I had just put it on the hanger when I noticed that there was another dress in the bottom. Picking up the note in the box, I read it.

_Miss. Yukimura,_

_As I was wrapping the black dress up,_

_I found this extra one in the store room_

_and knew it was for you._

_-Mineko Hamada_

I lifted the turquoise colored dress from the box and looked it over. It was thin strapped and made of brocade and a soft silky material with a tight fitting bodice with a silver design that stopped just below the bust. Shrugging, I went to put it on. It fit very well. Locating a pair of silver heels from the collection that Mark ha stocked the closet with, I brushed through my hair and put it back into some hair up, some down with the parts brought back braided. When I was finished, I brushed my teeth and headed downstairs.

Mark gave me a once over. "Very nice. Stand in front of the stairs for now. They'll be arriving any minute."

"Is this another one of those dinners where you're gonna boot Kyoya and I from the room?"

"Not this time. This is something you're to be present for. As of tomorrow, the public will know of the engagement. Tonight, we'll discuss what is to be said during the press conference and who is to say it. This visit is also Mr. Ootori publicly acknowledging that you are affiliated with this family. Do not embarrass me."

I glared, finally losing my temper. "I know everything, just so you know. I know all about the bullshit lies you and the rest of the family have been feeding me. So you're the son of my father's scorned ex wife, huh? You knew all about his past and played dumb. What else am I not being told? Are you still in contact with my grandfather? Is that it?"

Mark looked stunned for a second before quickly becoming angered. It was so fast, I could barely blink. His hand shot forward and connected with the side of my face, causing me to stumble onto the floor in front of the stairs. "Your mother's marriage to _my _father will never be acknowledged. My mother was his one true wife."

I flinched, shocked with how much venom was in his voice. With me still on the ground, holding my cheek, and Mark still leaning over me in a rage, Mr. Ootori opened the door without the courtesy of knocking, giving both him and his son front row seats to the little display.


	25. The Black Diamond

**Chapter 25**

_With me still on the ground, holding my cheek, and Mark still leaning over me in a rage, Mr. Ootori opened the door without the courtesy of knocking, giving both him and his son front row seats to the little display._

Mr. Ootori raised an eyebrow, but he didn't look surprised. "Is everything alright?"

Mark collected himself much quicker than I could. He reached down and grabbed my arms before helping me up. "That was quite a fall you had. Did you hit your face on the steps?"

Stumbling slightly, it took Kyoya rushing forward to help support me before Mark could release his hold on me. I knew Kyoya could feel me shaking. He wasn't stupid. They could probably hear the sound of him slapping me as they approached the door. Looking up at his face, I could see the anger blooming in his eyes and had to squeeze his hand tightly to calm him down. Confronting Mark on his behavior in front of his father would do nothing but get us both in trouble.

Brushing his fingers on my cheek, he reluctantly let go of all of me but my hand. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "Don't worry."

Mr. Ootori smiled that ice cold smile of his. "Well, now that we know her little tumble didn't do too much damage, I've actually brought a little gift for you, Miss. Yukimura."

I turned to Mr. Ootori, shocked. "A gift?"

I noticed then that he had a square jewelry box in hand. It was a black velvet one about seven inches high and four wide. Holding it out to me, he lifted the lid and I gasped. The box contained a circular black diamond the size of a peach pit. It was surrounded by diamonds set in a half circular, half square shape with a string of diamonds as the chain.

"This is the crown of my jewel collection. Think of it as a symbol of who you will one day become." He sat the box in his son's hands and took the necklace out. Walking around me, I froze in place as he brought the necklace around my neck and fastened it in place. It was a choker and it, surprisingly, fit almost perfectly. As he pulled his cold fingers away from my neck, one brushed against the pulse point of my neck, making me shiver in slight repulsion. "You will wear this for tomorrow's press conference."

I nodded. "Yes sir."

The heavy moment was interrupted then by Mari. "Pardon me. Dinner is served."

Still in a state of shock at the fact that I was wearing a massive black diamond on my neck that was given to me by someone who gave off a terrible vibe, Kyoya had to link arms with me and escort me to my seat. When he had taken his place beside me, I finally looked up at him, gauging his reaction. He seemed pensive.

"Considering the momentous occasion, I've pulled out a bottle of my best wine and a bottle of my best cognac." Mark told Mr. Ootori as two full decanter bottles were placed on the table with some glasses.

"Perhaps we should let the children try a taste? It is their engagement after all." Mr. Ootori recommended. Before either of us could say a word, he picked up the decanter with wine in it and poured two glasses for us. I accepted mine with a little more caution than Kyoya did, who I already knew was accustomed to things much stronger than wine.

Kyoya gave me a hard stare when he knew neither his father or my brother were paying attention. "Don't drink too much."

Nodding, I took a polite sip and sat the glass on the table. When the first course was placed on the table as well, things seemed to relax a little more. Instead of the traditional Japanese food Mark insisted on serving here, he arranged for some French cousine for tonight. Eating some, I took another sip of the wine and then another.

As dinner wound down and dessert was served, the drink total for the table was one glass of wine for me, one glass of wine and a half glass of cognac for Kyoya, three wine and a cognac for Mark and five wine and three cognac for Mr. Ootori. It was obvious that both Mr. Ootori and Mark were drunk. Kyoya didn't seem affected but he didn't drink much and made sure to finish eating entirely before even touching the cognac.

It was kind of fascinating to watch as they used a bowl full of hot water to heat the small glass the cognac is located in before drinking it, filling the dining room with the warm aroma that I wasn't sure if I enjoyed or not. Noticing my curiosity, he lifted his still warm glass and handed it to me. "Try it if you'd like."

Sniffing it up close, I wrinkled my nose and took a quick sip. He smirked a little when he noticed how wide my eyes got. It was definitely an acquired taste and the burn it caused as I swallowed it wasn't pleasant at all. I coughed a little which alerted Mark. He took the glass from me and handed it back to Kyoya. "That's enough of that. One glass of wine and your eyes are already dilated."

I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to acknowledge him. He's already done enough damage for me to ever want to talk to him again. Sinking down in my seat, I could barely eat dessert. As soon as the table was cleared, Mr. Ootori and Mark both lumbered into the parlor with talk of playing darts. I took this opportunity to drag Kyoya away.

I put a finger to my lips. "Follow me."

He smirked as I took his hand and led him up the stairs and to the attic door. Opening it, I grabbed a flashlight and climbed halfway up the stairs before a dizzy spell hit. Swooning backwards, Kyoya had to catch me just as he was closing the attic door. "Maybe you are a little tipsy."

I giggled and righted myself. "The tipsy one is your father."

He chuckled before hushing me. "Don't let him hear you say that. What's up here, anyway?"

"Paintings specifically. That's what I want to show you." Walking over to the far wall, I turned over the paintings and laid them all against the wall for viewing. I shined the flashlight on one in particular. "This painting right here is my dad."

He looked it over. "You look quite a bit like him. I can see a lot of him in your brother too."

I scowled. "Please, don't talk about that ass."

My words brought back the earlier occurrence. His expression hardened. "He'll regret that."

Even though he said it softly, the steel in his voice let me know that he meant business. I shivered a little, which didn't escape his notice. He put his arms around me. "Maybe we should head back downstairs? It's kind of drafty up here."

I fell into his arms the rest of the way and held on tight. "I really don't want to go back downstairs."

He chuckled. "Then what do you want to do?"

I shrugged. "You haven't kissed me since the last time you saw me."

He was silent at first before lifting my face up and bringing it closer to his. With only the light of the moon shining through the single window in the attic, it was kind of romantic here. With half lidded eyes, he laid one kiss on my lips, then two and then three. Before I could start to get bubbly, the fourth kiss came in a much more forceful manner. Instinctively, I grabbed a hold of his hair and brought him closer, refusing to let go, which suited him just fine. He kissed me harder before sliding his tongue across my bottom lip. I shivered and complied.

As our tongues battled it out, the flashlight that I had sat on the floor forgotten, his hands moved from my upper back to my hips, bringing me even closer. A rush of euphoria shut through me as I realized that he wasn't ending the kiss before things got too heated this time. Bringing his left hand down to the bare part of my thigh, he ran his fingers up, making shivers go up my spine and tingles wherever he touched.

I realized then that maybe this time, he didn't intend on stopping. He had drank some and so had I and at this point in our relationship, I wouldn't be against it. But would either of us regret it in the morning if we lost our virginity in the attic of my half brother's house?

A thought occurred to me then, causing me to slow down in my kissing. Is Kyoya a Virgin? I read in books all the time about how upper class men always take maids as their lovers for a short while. He also has probably had girls who visit the club offer themselves to him. Maybe he decided to accept one of their offers. I pulled away, causing him to raise and eyebrow and pause his fingers that were nearly to the top of my thigh.

"Is something wrong?" He whispered, lowering his hand down to mid thigh.

I flushed. It was such an awkward question. What was I supposed to say? 'Excuse me, Kyoya, but have you ever shagged a maid before?' Even thinking the word shag made me blush more. "Um... Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"H-have..." I began, trailing off. Why was this so hard? I took a deep breath. "Have you ever..."

Realization appeared in his eyes. "Have I ever done this sort of thing before?"

My face heated back up as I nodded. "Yeah."

He looked me right in the eyes. "No, I haven't. Not ever. To be honest with you, being from the family that I am has taught me, above many things, self control."

I nearly sighed in relief, feeling dumb for asking in the first place. "I'm sorry for asking. It's just with you being a host and all, it just seems that..."

"I've gotten offers, I won't lie. There are many girls who would try to put me in a compromising situation for the sake of their family. If anyone thought that I deflowered one of my guests, I'd be expected to honor her."

That worried me. I could seriously imagine someone like Megumi or even Ren trying something like that. "But what about testing? It's the twenty first century. Couldn't a doctor just give the girl a physical and prove her wrong?"

"It's not that simple. Who's doctor do you think will perform the physical? The doctor of the girl's family. The family will bribe the doctor and before you know it, it's their word against mine."

I briefly considered bringing up security cameras as proof but not every room in every building or house will have cameras, even the houses of rich people like Kyoya. "Don't let any girl put you into that situation."

Kyoya smirked. "You did. Nearly every morning since you first arrived in Japan, you've shown up at the club room when I did and spent time with me. Sure, we were just talking but people knew you were there with me and someone could have decided to assume something."

I laughed nervously. "I doubt it. All they would have succeeded in doing is make it look like you impugned upon my honor and then they'd all but secure our engagement."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose you're right. But what about what we're doing now? I have you alone in a dark attic. If your brother or my father were to come looking for us, they might find us here alone and then they'd make assumptions."

I shrugged. "I don't really care about the opinions of people like Mark and your father wants us to marry anyway."

I wasn't sure but it looked a little like he was trying to think of something to get me nervous. "Forgetting that there are other people in this house, I still have you alone in an attic. Doesn't that make you nervous? I could just decide to impugn upon your honor."

He said the last part sarcastically, amused with my earlier choice of words. I wasn't buying his tough talk. "You wouldn't."

His smirk became more pronounced as he took a step forward. Grabbing a hold of my hips, he backed me into the wall, his body only a mere inch from mine. Almost as if he realized what he was doing, his smirk wavered before fading all together. He suddenly looked like he was studying my eyes, looking for something in particular. "Would you forgive me if I did?"

His question floored me. Unable to keep his heavy gaze, I averted my eyes, choosing to look to the floor to my right side. "Would I forgive you if you did what exactly? Lost control?"

"I wouldn't do anything to you that you didn't want as much as I did. I wouldn't suddenly lose control in a bad sense." He corrected my misunderstanding, his voice gentle and full of...what? It sounded quite a bit like what I would think desire would sound like. That I wasn't used to at all. The idea of anyone finding me desirable was just...a little laughable.

He let out a shaky breath. His eyes taking in every inch of my appearance. He opened his mouth, ready to say something when the sound of the attic door opening sent him practically flying back. Our hearts pounding, we were relieved when it was just the voice of Mari calling up.

"Miss. Avianna? Are you up here?"

"Yes. I'm showing Kyoya the old paintings. We'll be down in a moment." I called when I had found my voice.

"I suggest you two come right downstairs. It won't be long until his father or your brother come looking for you."

"I know. We'll be down in just a minute."

When Mari' steps were a little ways away. Kyoya and I gave eachother nervous looks. He broke the eye contact first to glance at the stairs leading down. "It's time to head downstairs."

I nodded before reluctantly picking up the flashlight and following him back to the first floor. Peels of laughter were echoing from the parlor, a sign that Mr. Ootori was thoroughly drunk and Mark had found a way to entertain him.

"He seems pleased." I said sourly.

"He's very pleased. You accepted his gift. It's a little unsettling to see you wearing that, to be honest." He told me softly, careful to not let his voice trail to the parlor.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He looked back towards the door before taking my hand and walking back into the TV room on the left side of the stairs and shutting us inside. I tried to ignore the memories the room brought forward. I wonder how different things would be right this minute if Kyoya had succeeded in seducing me that night.

"The pendant around your neck is a very important piece of Ootori family history. It was presented to my sister before you and my mother before her. It has been worth by each woman with a strong connection to my family for the past hundred and fifty years. It's only been a pendant for the past thirty years. Before that, the black diamond was larger and the centerpiece in a fabulous crown worn by Queen Victoria the first the night she met my great great great grandfather.

She bequeathed it to him on her death bed. Because of its history and significant importance my father views it as a binding contract when he presented it to you and so will everyone else when you wear it to tomorrow's press conference. The necklace will belong to you until the first girl is brought into this generation, either by one of my brothers, my sister or...us."

I felt my entire face heat up. Once again, I was being made to realize what it meant to be engaged. At some point or another, once the wedding was out of the way, I'd be expected to bring children into the world. While I wasn't even remotely ready for that, what you had to do to make children was sounding better and better.

He seemed to notice his words had embarrassed me but he decided to ignore it. "When everyone sees the pendant on your neck tomorrow, no one in their right mind will make you another offer in the event that our engagement fell through. If someone did, you'd find that things were suddenly falling to pot for reasons unknown. You realize now what would cause that, yes?"

"Your father would interfere?"

"Exactly. It's how he's assured the future of both of my brothers and even his own to my mother."

I shook my head before going to sit on the leather sofa in front of the TV. "Your father is a sicko, you know that?"

He surprised me by smiling sadly. "I come from a long line of sickos, Avianna. Does that change your mind about me?"

"Not a bit." I answered honestly. "You're nothing like your ancestors."

He took a seat beside me on the couch then and wrapped an arm around my waist. "You look beautiful right now."

As my face reddened, the smile on his lips grew wider. As we sat there in silence, the moment we were sharing was interrupted by Mr. Ootori. "Kyoya!"

We sighed. "I guess that's your cue."

He nodded, grimacing slightly. "Your brother has been given orders to arrive at the Ootori estate with you tomorrow at eight in the morning. You will have breakfast once you arrive. The conference starts at ten at the Red Dragon Hotel. Bring the outfit you plan on wearing with you and you can get ready when you arrive."

"Understood." I nodded my head, taking a deep breath.

"The conference will most likely be over by half past eleven, noon if it runs late. After it's over, my father plans on treating you and your brother to lunch at one of his favorite restaurants. After we eat, we'll return to the Ootori estate where you and I will finally be free to spend the afternoon as we please."

I smiled. "And how will we spend that time?"

"Kyoya!" His father called again, the impatience seeping into his voice. Kyoya took my hand and walked me towards the door until we were nearly up against it.

He leaned in until his lips were touching my ear. "After we're free, we're getting in the car and driving to Ouran. On Sundays, the primary and secondary buildings are locked up. At this point, we'll be free to turn the locker room upside down and even some of the regular lockers in search of the V book. I've got to go now."

He leaned back and opened the door, leaving me feeling both nervous and excited about tomorrow's events. Nervous about the conference and excited about the possibility of bringing the low down scum of the school to justice.

As Mr. Ootori took his son away, I began to feel the bubbling anger over Mark hitting me that Kyoya's presence had kept at bay. Standing at the foot of the stairs, I looked over at Mark, who had pulled his phone out to type something with it. I wanted nothing more than to confront Mark but I felt almost positive that it might end in violence.

"Good night." I said stiffly before turning around and all but running up the stairs. I had just enough time to shut myself in the room before the tears started prickling in my eyes. Mark's such an ass...

Locking the door, I quickly dressed in pajamas and crawled into bed. Taking the black diamond necklace, I placed it on my bedside table and tried to fall asleep.


	26. Ouran Vaults

**WELL, IT WAS UNPLEASANT TO READ THE VERY NASTY REVIEW LEFT FOR ME. IT WAS LEFT BY A GUEST WHO READ NOT EVEN TWO OF THE CHAPTERS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT NOT EVERYONE LIKES MY STORIES AND YOU ALL ARE ENTITLED TO YOUR OWN OPINIONS BUT I DID DELETE THE REVIEW SO AS TO NOT OFFEND SOME OF YOU. IT HAD SOME OFFENSIVE LANGUAGE. IT ACTUALLY MAKES ME EVEN MORE GRATEFUL TO THOSE WHO DO LOVE MY STORY. BIG HUGS TO YOU ALL. :)**

**I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE LAST CHAPTER AND HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS ONE. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**Chapter 26**

Avianna's POV:

"Avianna, relax." Kyoya whispered as we stood behind the curtain in the Red Dragon Hotel's largest conference room. I tried to do as he instructed but the sound of the reporters and spectators on the other side of the curtain put a fresh wave of panic through me. I've always had pretty bad stage fright growing up, which stopped my parents from ever putting me in plays or anything that required public appearances. "Remember, you don't have to speak."

"Just the idea that they're all staring..." I whispered after taking a deep breath.

"If it helps, focus on a point at the end of the room and don't take your eyes off it. There are four chairs ten feet in front of us on the other side of the curtain. The first chair to the left will be for Mark, the second for you, the third for me and the fourth for my father."

Mr. Ootori and Mark chose then to walk right for us. Mr. Ootori took one look at the black diamond necklace around my neck and smiled. "Let's get this out of the way, shall we?"

The noise suddenly died down, a signal that it was time to start the press conference. Mr. Ootori walked on stage first with Mark behind him. Kyoya squeezed my hand tightly once more before letting go and walking on stage himself with me mechanically following. The image of hundreds of people staring at me was terrifying. Taking a seat, I did as Kyoya said and focused on a piece of the wall above the heads of everyone.

"Hello." Mr. Ootori said almost charmingly to the crowd. "Let the questioning commence."

Every reporter in the room stood and began waving for attention. I watched Mr. Ootori point to someone out of the corner of my eye and a woman with blonde hair just in my line of vision looked down at a paper. "Mr. Ootori, is it true that Ootori Company and Yukimura Incorporated are merging?"

"That is correct." Mr. Ootori told her. "The companies will be officially merged just in time for the Ootori family gala in a little less than two weeks."

The crowd began to roar with questions again. Mr. Ootori pointed to someone out of my vision. I considered risking a quick look but my nerves just wouldn't allow it. A man spoke this time. "Are the rumors true that your youngest son and Mr. Yukimura's sister are betrothed?"

"That is also correct. Let you all bare witness to this binding contract. After the graduation of my son and my partner's sister, our empires will be connected."

Kyoya stood suddenly, bringing my attention away from the wall. He offered me his hand and I took it, allowing him to help me from my chair. His actions confused me. What exactly does he have up his sleeve? He gave me an apologetic look before reaching into his pocket and retrieving a little velvet box. What little color remained in my face left. Was he...?

The cameras flashed almost blindingly as he opened the box and presented the most stunning ring I've ever seen. The diamond the size of my thumbnail had a row of diamonds encircling it all around in points and the band had diamonds around it too. All in all, it was something very hard to ignore.

He smiled, bringing one from me. In the noise of the room, Only I could hear his next words. "Avianna...will you marry me?"

I was too speechless to speak. He reached for my left hand and took it in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. I smiled. "I will."

The commotion in the room increased tenfold as Kyoya slid the glittering ring onto my left hand ring finger. He held out my hand to the audience, allowing them to snap pictures of it before helping me into my seat and sitting in his own. Looking rather satisfied with the response, a smile spread across Mark's face.

"Any other questions?" Mr. Ootori asked.

"Mr. Ootori, what led you to create a merger with Yukimura Incorporated?"

"While Ootori Company is much larger and more established, Yukimura Incorporated is a rising star in the medical field and, come this time next year, should be significantly greater."

"Mr. Yukimura, is it true that you are in contact with your grandfather, the infamous Isao Yukimura?"

Taking my eyes off Kyoya finally, I saw that Mark looked surprised. He obviously didn't expect to be called on. "I have no comment to make on that."

I sighed. I'm so confused. Is Mark in contact with my grandfather or not? Why can't he just answer? To Mark's relief, the questions went back to Mr. Ootori.

"What led you to arrange a marriage for your youngest son to someone with only recently acquired wealth?"

This question came from a woman. Risking a quick glance at Mr. Ootori, I saw that his jaw was clenched. "No further questions."

With the crowd still shouting questions at him, Mr. Ootori stood and the rest of us followed suit. Ducking back behind the curtain, we hurried into a side hall and out the back door, where the limo that had taken everyone here was waiting. As we drove quickly through downtown Tokyo, I subconsciously ran my fingers over the ring on my finger. Risking a quick glance at Kyoya, I saw that he looked worried. Possibly about my reaction? Without much thought to the other occupants in the limo, he took my left hand in both of his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"We're here, Mr. Ootori." The driver said as soon as the limo stopped. As soon as the driver stepped out to open the door closest to the curb, Mr. Ootori exited and then Mark. Kyoya stepped out next and offered me his hand, which I took. As if the reporters knew that we'd be here, camera flashes were all around as we entered the French restaurant.

As soon as we were seated and the alcohol was handed over, the overall mood of the table became bearable. I accepted a small glass of champagne, which we toasted to to celebrate the union and before I knew it, I had downed the whole glass and was accepting a refill. I had no idea what had come over me. I'm not the type to drink at all and suddenly, I'm downing glasses as fast as Mr. Ootori, or if not that bad, at least as fast as Mark. It's got to be the nerves. I did just accept a real proposal for all of Japan to see.

As soon as I finished the second glass, Kyoya took the glass from me and handed me water. He gave me a disapproving look and I blushed. With my head feeling a little swishy, I listened to the table conversation.

"That sounds like a very good idea, Yoshio. When would you like to leave?"

"After we eat, if possible."

I looked to Kyoya and asked him what they were talking about as softly as possible. He leaned in. "They're going to take a trip to Kyoto. This, they're openly admitting, is a pleasure trip, rather than business. We may be on our own as soon as we return to the Ootori estate."

As soon as Kyoya leaned away from me, Mark looked in my direction. "You'll be alright for a few days, won't you? Mari and Mr. Kobayashi will be there to look after you."

I nodded, actually managing a smile. A few days without Mark around. "I'll be perfectly fine."

The rest of lunch passed with me actually feeling happy. As we exited the restaurant and returned to the limo, I found myself striking up a conversation with Kyoya about what the next class trip would be. "The one around Christmas for Ouran is usually the second biggest and the Spring one is usually quite remarkable. If I'm not mistaken, the top ten in each grade will be going to England during Christmas and the Spring one will be to France."

"That would be amazing."

As the limo pulled up to the front doors inside the gates of the Ootori estate, Kyoya allowed Mr. Ootori and Mark to run inside while we chose to walk around to the back and enjoy the garden. Just in case, we should wait until after they leave before heading over to the school. After half an hour, Mr. Ootori left for the airport in his limo and Mark left in his to go pack once he was assured by Kyoya that I would have a ride home.

Finally a very dazzling smile began to play on Kyoya's lips. "Are you ready?"

Accepting his hand, I smiled back. "Absolutely. Let's find that dang book."

With a smile on my face, I headed off to Ouran with Kyoya in a little black sports car that he explained was his to use if he wished. It was the type that could be turned into a convertible, if the driver wished. Since it looked and sounded as if a storm was brewing, we chose to keep it shut. As we drove along in companionable silence, I decided to turn on his radio, which began to play very pretty classical music.

"It's a CD of some of my favorite classical artists." He explained, looking a little embarrassed.

"It's beautiful. Which artist is this?"

"Yiruma." He admitted after a moment.

"I enjoy Yiruma myself."

His eyes, which had been focused solely on the road, darted to me for a moment. "Are you sure you want to be with me when I look? It may be Sunday but that doesn't mean that nobody is here. If a student decided to request that a teacher come in on Sunday so they can be tutored, we'll be caught here and questioned."

"I have a pretty good feeling we'll be here alone." I told him as we pulled into Ouran Academy's gates and parked near the high school building. "All the lights are off and there isn't a car in the high school parking lot except for yours."

Stepping out of the car quickly, he was around to open my door for me just as I removed my seat belt. As soon as we were out, he locked the doors and turned on the alarm before pocketing the keys and bringing out another set of keys. "These keys go specifically to the school. The gold one opens the front doors and the brass one is a skeleton key to open everything from classrooms to lockers."

At the front doors, he glanced around before unlocking one door and stepping inside. He immediately locked it back to keep anyone else from getting in. Walking down the dark halls of Ouran is even creepier when I know the building is closed. Kyoya wrapped an arm around me and led me back to the gym, where we cut through it and went into the boy's locker room. He turned a light on and gave me a tired look before going to unlock each and every one of the lockers. In the first section.

A couple hours later, we had finished all the lockers in the boy's locker room and had even opened up some lockers Kyoya knew belonged to boys in his gym class. Finally, as we were about to give up and head home, I accidentally brushed against a locker, causing a little note sticking out of it to fall to the ground. I picked it up.

**Your little stunt with the Yukimura**

**girl almost got you arrested while you still**

**have the book. When you get back to**

**school, you better bring it to me or**

**there WILL be consequences. Learn**

**to finish what you start. If you don't**

**snag her, I will.**

**-K. E.**

I paled and Kyoya snatched the paper out of my hands. Once he read it, he glared. The curiosity as to who wrote it getting the better of me, I took the hand not holding the note. "Do you know who K. E. is?"

He shook his head before putting the note back in the locker's little opening. "Not a clue. But whoever they are, they know Hiro. This note is meant for him."

"That means this is his locker." I whispered. Sensing where I was going with this, he took the brass key and opened it, careful to keep hold of the note. He lifted some of the folders on the top shelf before kneeling down and looking under the pile of books. To our intense surprise, it was there. The little red notebook looked old and was bound in leather. A V about the size of my hand print rested in the middle of the cover. "Should we read it?"

He shook his head. "We shouldn't do anything. We need to take it home immediately and turn it in to the principal first thing tomorrow."

A loud clap of thunder caused me to flinch. Looking out the nearby window, I watched as rain began to pour heavily. I hope Haruhi is okay.

"Tamaki informed me last night that he's taking her to the movies tonight. They should already be sitting in the theater now, blocking out the sound of the storm."

"How'd you know I was worried?" I asked as he slid the notebook into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

"You're easy to read. For me anyway." He said with a shrug, a smirk playing on his lips.

After giving him what I hoped was an intimidating glare, we made sure that the locker looked as if it hadn't be touched and headed for the door. Pausing at the stairs, I looked up. "While we're here, we should look around. It's creepy when the school looks this dark but it's cool too."

He glanced at the door quickly before going to stand beside me. "Sure, why not? It's too late in the afternoon for us to expect any teachers deciding to show up."

First, we decided to pop into the club room long enough to make sure it was cleaned and ready for tomorrow's club meeting, then we headed back downstairs to the same hallway the common rooms are located in. Kyoya stopped at a door to the left and used to key to open it. I was surprised to see a set of stairs leading down into darkness.

"What's this?" I whispered.

"This is one of two entrances to Ouran's vaults."

"Oh? What's that?"

Offering me his hand, he and I walked down a couple steps before shutting the door behind me. The stairwell was pitch black. I had to completely trust Kyoya to not let me fall down the stairs. When I was sure that I was standing on solid ground, the room lit. Adjusting my eyes, I looked from the light switch to Kyoya to the stone walls around me. Looking at all the paths around us leading to different sections of the basement, it looked like we were standing in some kind of catacombs.

"Would you like to see the vaults?" He asked after a moment.

"Is that allowed?"

"Not really. Not even I am allowed here. It started with the chairman, Tamaki's father, showing his son. Tamaki showed me and...here we are. The vault's entrance is around the corner to the left."

Following him further in, we entered the hallway to the left and stopped at the end, in front of a steel door. To enter this one, we'd need a pass code to enter into the key pad. He was quick to type in the numbers _'41503'_

"41503?" I asked as the door slid open and the lights in the hallway beyond lit up.

"April 15, 1903. The date that Ouran Academy was first established. Up until 1922, it was solely a men's school. At that point, they created a women's finishing school on the opposite side of the property. In 1940, they finally decided to group the men and women together into one institution. In 1967, they separated age groups and made it a middle school, high school and college. The elementary school wasn't created until 1979."

As Kyoya spoke, we walked down the hallway that led into several locked up rooms. Some were simple and contained old boxes, some had curtains on the inside, blocking the room from view. "What all is stored down here?"

"Everything from old uniforms to paperwork and even some items that the chairman refused to tell his son about. Considering the vaults run directly from the high school to the college, that would make it a very large storage space for even things are large as cars, if there were a way to get the cars down here."

"This is all fine and well but what exactly about the vaults did you think would really interest me?" I asked after a moment, hoping I didn't offend him.

He chuckled. "What I want to show you is up ahead."

Taking my hand, he stepped forward until we reached the end of the hall. Taking a left turn, he stopped at the door at the end of that short hall and unlocked it. Before I even had a chance to blink, he pushed me inside the dark room gently and flicked on a light switch somewhere.

I gasped. Books. Endlessly books. It was a two story library the size of the cafeteria only slightly bigger. The center of the room was lit by a chandelier the size of the one that graced the foyer in the main high school building. Taking about ten steps into the room, I smiled.

"This is incredible." I whispered.

"This library is located below the actual high school library. Each and every book you see on these shelves are collector editions of every notable book ever written. Ouran even owns the original manuscript for Romeo and Juliet. That, my dear, is a very long story."

I laughed. "How did they manage that?"

He adjusted his glasses, his expression a little sheepish. "To put it plainly, it was stolen from the original holders of the manuscript thirty years ago and brought here. Am I correct in assuming that this interests you?"

"More than you can imagine. I love books. Seeing all of these treasured ones...it's just so cool."

"Go on then. Look at them if you like. You can't remove them from this room but you're welcome to read them here. We could try to make time every Sunday for it."

Overwhelmed, I ran forward and gave him the strongest hug I could manage. "You're the best!"

After a moment of surprise, he returned the hug in a more gentle manner. Pulling away, I ran right across the room and started scanning the bookshelves. Any book that couldn't be reached by hand or by the rolling ladder attached to the wall were on the balcony of the room, which could be reached via a winding staircase to the left.

It felt like we were there for hours. While I had my face practically pressed up against the very first copy of one of my favorite Japanese books, Kyoya spent that time going through a side room in the library that contained the written information about each book in the secret library. When I finally closed the book and put it away, Kyoya emerged from the side room and shut the door.

"We should head back upstairs soon." He said gently as he went to stand beside me. "It's nearly eight. Your brother may be gone but you'll want to at least inform your house staff of where you are so they don't worry."

I pulled out my cellphone. "I haven't received a call...but the reception is terrible down here which would block any calls..."

"If we return to the first floor of the high school, you should get your reception back."

As he turned to leave, I quickly grabbed his arm. He looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. I blushed. "I'm not ready to go home yet."

I'm not sure what he saw in my expression but it caused him to pull me into his arms and hug me tightly. "I understand. It's upsetting to return home knowing that only the house staff are there."

I grimaced. "I'm sorry. It's just awkward. Having Mari there makes it better but still..."

"Would you like to stay here a little longer? We could go to the common rooms and watch a movie?"

"Won't the school be upset when they review the footage and see that we've been here for hours?"

"The school's security team are very well bribed. They'll erase all evidence that we were here." He paused to shrug for a moment. "You know, or else."

I rolled my eyes and took a step back. "You know you really aren't as frightening as you think you are."

Walking towards the exit to the secret library, I could hear Kyoya walking behind me but I chose to ignore it. Just as I reached the exit, I felt him grab me around my middle and yank me back. A little startled, I tried to give him a glare but he kept me facing forward by holding on to my neck below my chin. "Aren't I?"

The low, ominous tone in his voice managed to give me a chill. "Alright, cut it out. We need to get out of here before we manage to get caught. You know my luck."

"Answer me first." He murmured, his lips against my ear. "Do you mean it? Am I not frightening?"

"No." I answered honestly. 'But you are intimidating', I thought.

"Then what am I?"

I wasn't sure what sort of answer he wanted but I figured that the biggest likelihood is he wanted me to admit that he could be scary. I rolled my eyes. "You're a very scary boy. Is that what you want to hear?"

"That works." He chuckled softly. Even after I answered him, he did nothing to loosen his grip. When I began to fidget, he removed the hand under my chin and turned me around so that we were face to face and flush against eachother. He took in my expression, which I hoped expressed how much I wanted him to kiss me right now. "What's on your mind?"

I blanked for a moment. What was I thinking? The longer he stared, the more I could only focus on his face and the way he held me. His eyes did a sweep over of every inch of me that could be seen while our arms were around eachother. I blushed. "What's on your mind, Kyoya?"

"I'm thinking that my tailor disregarded my instructions as it pertained to the cut of your bodice."

I looked down at the small amount of cleavage that could be seen above the top line of the dress and averted my eyes and blushed. "You shouldn't be looking?"

My words made him smirk. "Is that a question? You seem uncertain."

I pouted, a little frustrated with myself. No, really frustrated at myself. "You shouldn't be looking. There. I said it."

His smirk faded and his hold on me loosened a little. "You're right."

For some reason, his sudden distance upset me. I sighed inwardly. I need to just own up to my feelings. I like Kyoya a lot and I sometimes I find myself wanting to get a little closer than protocol allows. So why can't I tell him that?

"Something's on your mind." He whispered, his hands trailing from the top of my waist to the bottom of it. "Care to share?"

I blushed, everything that needed to be said hanging on the tip of my tongue. "I really like you."

He smiled slightly, though it was no less genuine than a full smile. "I know. I like you too. Much more than I thought I would, even before I decided not to ignore you."

"When we first met, you mean?"

He nodded, his expression almost bashful. "I never really looked at you until I was asked to take you on a tour of the school. Even in the small amount of time it took to give the tour, you managed to catch my interest in a way. You were nothing like any of the girls here. By the time school ended on your first day here, I had wanted to go against my father and at least figure you out a little more but I had also already nearly determined to pretend you don't exist. The one thing that made me change my mind is when you outright demanded my attention during your first host club meeting. No one had ever done so and it...impressed me a lot."

I smiled. "To put things simply, you like me a lot?"

The corners of his lips twitched. "Precisely."

Sliding my hands up the front of his shirt, I rested the tips of my fingers on his shoulders, bringing my attention to the ring. A question came to mind. "What was the reasoning for you publicly proposing? It seemed a little...not romantic."

The sheepishness increased. "I'm sorry for that. It was expected of us but that doesn't excuse it...You deserve better than that and you'll get it even if I have to propose to you ten different times."

Taking a step back, he took my left hand and before I knew it, the ring was off my finger. "Kyoya, what are you doing?"

Taking a deep breath, he sank to his right knee in one fluid motion. "Avianna...I don't even know where to begin. Your suddenly appearance in my life has done something that nothing else could. It got through to me. You never deserved my family forcing their way into your life or your brother's encouragement. The fact that you've accepted my feelings for you even though this merger has been hurting you and your relationship with your family is much more than I deserve. So when I ask this, unless you are one hundred percent certain in your heart that this is what you want, don't accept. I will ask again one day. Will you marry me?"

My heart pounded. If it wasn't enough that he romantically proposed again, he also worded it in such a way that I had to pause and think through my response. "I...know that this engagement was forced on us and I feel like I should apologize that. It was my brother's idea..."

"Avianna." He tried to interrupt but I put a finger to his lips.

"Regardless...I still have strong feeling for you. I do want to be with you and if we make this work, I'll still feel that way when the wedding comes. But...I don't love you. Not yet. As far as the public eye is concerned, we're engaged. But when it's just you and me, let's do what we've been trying to from the beginning and fall for eachother in our own time. I'm sorry. I hope you understand."

So many emotions flashed through his eyes as I spoke. Hope, worry, acceptance... Glancing at the ring, he took my left hand anyway and placed the ring in my palm before closing my fingers around it. "I want you to do what makes you happy. I do understand. Keep this. Wear it, lock it in a box..."

As he stood to his full height, I clutched the hand that contained the ring to my chest and sighed. "I'm sorry."

His searching expression changed to one of determination. His hands ghosted up to the sides of my face. "Never apologize, Avianna. Not for that. Not for any of this."

A shiver went up my spine. Not because of the emotion that dripped from his voice as he spoke but because of what I saw reflecting behind him. It was so quick that I couldn't even make out whether it was a boy or girl but someone most definitely turned the corner leading away from the library door. I spun around, ripping his hands from my face.

"Kyoya, there's someone down here with us. I saw their reflection in your glasses."

He quickly walked past me and glanced around the corner cautiously. He turned back after a second. "Are you sure? There's no one there. You might have seen the light reflecting."

"Whoever it was had on a red shirt."

He looked around the corner again. "As in the uniform blazer?"

"No, it didn't look like the same shade of red. Not quite, anyway."

He was silent for a minute, trying to hear even the tiniest sound. Finally, I heard what I thought was footsteps growing further and further away. Kyoya looked to me. "Stay here. If you hear the steps getting closer, shut the bars over the doorway and it will lock you safely inside."

And he was off. I stepped into the hallway a moment later to see him run out of the steel door ahead, leaving me in the vault alone. I shivered. I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Backing against the wall, I let my eyes dart around frantically, trying to catch a glimpse of Kyoya. Why do I feel like I'm being watched?

The steps that I had heard earlier began to approach again. My heart pounding frantically, I ran for the library and slammed the bar door in place before stepping back. The steps just grew closer. "Kyoya? Is that you?"

Just as I contemplated locating a weapon, they rounded the corner.

**!HEY! :D IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO SEE PICTURES OF THE BLACK DIAMOND NECKLACE AND AVIANNA'S ENGAGEMENT RING, CHECK MY PROFILE.**


	27. Officially Meeting Kyoya's Mother

**HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING THE STORY SO FAR. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN OHSHC IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.**

**ENJOY!**

**Chapter 27**

Avianna's POV:

_Just as I contemplated locating a weapon, they rounded the corner._

"Kyoya!" I yelled angrily. "Try telling me it's you next time. I was freaked out."

He looked confused, then understanding. "I'm sorry. Whatever you saw, I'm not finding anything. If someone was here, they either hid very well or got up the steps to the first floor before I could leave the vaults."

He pulled the set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. Switching off all the lights we had turned on, he locked up the library door and then shut the steel door locking the vault. I hardly breathed as we hurried up the stairs and locked the basement door safely. I still had that bad feeling that someone was watching.

Kyoya had been right about how late it was. The moon had risen high in the still rainy sky and peaked through the clouds every now and then. By the time we left, the gates to the school had been locked up. Getting in the car, we drove up to the gate where Kyoya typed in a pass code into another keypad, causing the gates to swing open long enough for us to drive through.

The closer to Mark's house we drove, the less light I saw. Everyone seemed to be either gone from their houses or asleep. As he stopped in front of our destination, I looked into my lap and sighed softly. My reluctant attitude did not go unnoticed. "Why don't you go inside and pack an overnight bag? There's plenty of rooms at Ootori estate and, I'm almost certain, more to do."

I looked up quickly. "Really?"

My response seemed to amuse him. "Go on. I'll wait here."

Nodding quickly, I jumped out of the car and walked quickly across the yard and opened the door. I had barely made it past the dining room when I froze. Mari was still up. She sat in one of the chairs with a cup of something steaming in her hands. She seemed startled.

"Even after Mark explained that you would most likely be in Master Kyoya's company for a while, I still worried. Are you alright?"

I took a deep breath. "I've been invited to stay the night at the Ootori estate, Mari. Can I trust you to pretend you never heard me say such a thing?"

She seemed to grow pale. "Oh, Avianna...Please be careful. Of course, I'd never tell Mark."

I gave her a grateful smile. "I swear, nothing will happen."

She tried returning my smile, though it was a little more nervous. "I'll trust you on that. Don't prove me wrong."

Running forward, I gave Mari a big hug before running upstairs and changing into something much more sensible. Placing the necklace in the little jewelry box that sat on my vanity, I packed an overnight bag in a small duffel bag and hurried past the still awake Mari and out the front door. When I had returned to the car and threw my bag in the back seat, Kyoya seemed even more amused.

"I saw you pause in the doorway. Who did you have to answer to?"

I grimaced. "Mari. She's cool with it, though as long as you return me home in the same condition I'm in now."

Catching my drift, he was quick to return his gaze to the front windshield and pull away from the curb. The drive from the Yukimura estate to the Ootori estate at this time of night was beautiful, especially with the moon as full as it is now. I stared out the window in a daze, enjoying the rain as it hit the car in a constant stream. Even with the bad weather to worry about, Kyoya's driving did not falter once.

About halfway to our destination, just as I started to feel dizzy again over the bit of alcohol I drank at lunch, Kyoya exhaled a little heavily, as if he had been holding his breath for a while. "What do you want to do when we arrive? There's a couple game rooms you might enjoy with a pool table and other various games. There's a movie room we could spend our time in."

"How come you seem fine after drinking more alcohol than me but I get tipsy after two glasses of watered down champagne?" I asked, ignoring his earlier recommendations.

"Watered down?" He asked.

"The champagne they served us tasted like it was mostly water."

He chuckled. "Did you notice that they seemed to be serving you and I from a different bottle than what they served my father and your brother? That's because they water it down due to our age. What you drank was only one part champagne and two parts water."

"What about when we had dinner at my house?"

"That was not watered down. If you hadn't sipped on your wine throughout dinner and had just drank it down in one go, you would've felt much more tipsy. You can deny it if you want but you're a lightweight. Even the stuff from today made you a little inebriated."

I frowned. "It doesn't seem like inebriation to me. Inebriation is laughing for little to no reason and doing stupid stuff. I don't think I'm acting any different than if I were sober. I didn't even get a hangover the morning after drinking the wine."

His quick, almost mocking laugh earned him a glare. "You've never been truly drunk then. Are you trying to say that you want to experience that?"

I bit my lip, only slightly aware that we were driving through the gates of the Ootori estate. "Kind of. Just to know what it's like."

He sighed. "Well, I'm sorry but I can't allow that. You're much too thin and I'm afraid you'd overdo it."

He reached into the backseat and grabbed my bag for me before exiting the car and running around to help me out. Hurrying up the porch steps, a man nearby stepped from under the awning and went to drive the car away. Not even a moment later, the front door opened for us by a young maid with dark brown hair and almost golden eyes.

The maid, who had to be only twenty at the oldest, curtsied. "Master Kyoya, welcome home."

"Akira, this is Miss. Avianna Yukimura. Please arrange overnight accommodations for her in the East wing."

She curtsied again, gave me a pointed look and then turned and walked towards the maid's nearby. "One of you fix up a room for our guest, Miss. Yukimura. Now."

The maids nearby curtsied to her, both in much more respectful uniforms, before one ran up the stairs. Seeing that they had listened, Akira nodded and walked out of the room and into a room to the right. I wondered why this Akira girl dressed the way she did. Instead of wearing a high collared maid uniform with a skirt that went below the knee like the other girls, her's was thick spaghetti strapped and showed much of her cleavage. The back of the shirt had corset strings and the skirt of it stopped at about mid thigh. Even a laced black and white choker was tied around her neck along with matching bracelets around her wrists.

As soon as Kyoya finished requesting that the other maid nearby informed the kitchen that they'd need dinner, he turned to me and noticed me staring in the direction the Akira maid had walked.

"She's barely dressed. Is there a reason for it?" I whispered.

When I turned towards him, I saw that his expression was rather annoyed. "Her name is Akira. She started off as the maid of my mother but my father quickly took interest in her. Now, she's his mistress. As long as my mother is not around, she doesn't have to do anything around the house. The way she dresses from day to day changes and it usually is at my father's request. Before he left today, he ordered that she dress in a maid's uniform."

"You can't stand her." I guessed and I knew I had hit the nail on the head when he tensed up.

"Why should I put up with a woman who allows herself to be treated as a whore? It breaks my mother's heart."

I touched his shoulder, not sure what to say. "I'm sorry."

As if he had never been angry, he put a charming smile on his face. "Let's forget I said anything. Why don't we take a seat in my study while we wait for dinner? I'll have it sent up to the room."

I did as he said but I wasn't fooled. He was still upset. Walking up the stairs, we turned down two different halls before stopping at a set of double doors. He opened them and allowed me to step inside the already lit room. It wasn't any grander than the downstairs parlor but I could tell that it belonged to Kyoya. His aura was all around the room. It also seemed to be the only room I've seen that had pictures that were taken for more than just display.

Walking towards the desk in the center of the room, I looked down at the picture on it. It was of the entire host club. Sitting it down, I looked at the pictures on the available shelf next to the shelves of books. There was one picture of the dark haired girl I had seen when I first visited the Ootori estate. Next to that one was a picture of Kyoya with who I guessed to be his mother.

"My sister and my mother." He answered, almost startling me by how close he was. I glanced at the door to the left of the bookshelves.

"What does that door go to?" I asked as I turned to look into his midnight eyes.

He blushed a little. "My bedroom."

Feeling a little awkward, I considered making a joke to lighten the mood but nothing came to mind that I thought Kyoya would find funny. All I could manage to think about now is us up alone in the attic of Mark's house, him pretty much asking my permission to lose control.

The knock that came at the door nearly made me jump out of my skin. I could tell that he noticed my keyed up behavior but I wasn't sure what he'd say about it later since he chose to go answer the door. One of the regularly dressed maids came in pushing a serving cart. She took the trays off it and piled them on the coffee table sitting between two sofas next to a fireplace to the right of the double doors.

"The cook had previously prepared a soup for this evening's dinner and has warmed it up for you and your guest, Master Ootori. Also available is a fine selection of cheeses and bread. The dessert will be delivered at your request. Available for refreshments-"

"Thank you, Mrs. Hattori. Please bring a bottle of Petrus Pomerol and a pitcher of water."

With a curtsy, she left the room. I gave Kyoya a questioning look. "That would be wine, right?"

"You seem very curious about the world of alcohol, which isn't a good thing but I'm almost certain I lack the ability to say no to you. As long as you promise to drink responsibly, you may have some. Drink two glasses of water for every half glass of wine."

I rolled my eyes. "I don't know. I have a feeling that I might prove to hold my alcohol better than you think."

Taking a seat together on the couch closest to the door, we dug in. About half an hour later, the soup was gone and the cheese and bread had been picked through. Holding onto my second glass of wine, I watched as Kyoya tried to balance the tip of a spoon on his finger. Surprisingly, he succeeded.

"See, I told you I can do it."

I giggled. "When did you learn to do that?"

"I joined an advanced Physics club at the start of my sophomore year of high school. Besides the regular things we'd do, it was a favorite pass time for us to try to bend spoons. I never could and I didn't like being the odd one out so I learned to balance them on the tips of my fingers. I've gotten up to six balancing at once."

"Bending a spoon isn't that hard. It's all about where you apply the pressure. May I?" He handed the spoon to me and watched intently as I covered my hands with it. Pressing where I remember my dad teaching me to press, I was a little upset when it didn't budge. "Well, that's disappointing."

"These are silver spoons, not the regular spoons you're accustomed to bending. While I couldn't bend a spoon all through my sophomore year, I did learn how to shortly before I met you."

Taking the spoon from me, he bent it right in front of my eyes. I blinked. "No way! How'd you do that?"

"Each spoon, no matter how tough, has a bending point. You just have to find it."

Taking the final sip from my wine glass, I sat it aside and leaned back against the couch. "Is it warm in here or is it just me?"

"You're very flushed." He said in amusement as he sat the spoon aside. "Are you feeling tipsy yet? That's what you wanted, right?"

I pressed my finger against his forehead and pushed him back a few inches. "What do you think?"

I didn't mean to but the breathy way I said that made it come across as almost seductive. I thought I even saw him shiver. He leaned down and kissed me lightly, his lips lingering against mine for a moment. "This will be the last time you get to drink like this until you turn eighteen. I don't want to turn you into an alcoholic."

"I can agree to that." I smiled before grabbing his face and pulling him back down for another kiss. His initial shock lasted only a second before he returned the kiss.

Whether it was the alcohol doing it or not, my hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they latched onto his hair for a moment before trailing down to his neck and to the tie that rested there. Allowing him to put his tongue in my mouth, I did the unthinkable. I loosened the tie and attempted to remove it. He froze and pulled back to look at me with hazy eyes.

"What are you doing?"

My face lit up. "Your tie was annoying me."

He smirked a moment before ripping his tie off the rest of the way and tossing it to the other side of the couch. "Are there any other pieces of clothing 'annoying' you?"

Darn it...How on Earth does he manage to embarrass me so much? I looked away from him like a stubborn child. "It was just annoying me, okay?"

After a moment, he sighed. "Let's not ruin the moment."

And he was latched back onto my mouth with a new vengeance, refusing to let up this time. Just as I was getting lightheaded, he released my lips and moved his face to my neck, kissing and nipping at the skin there as his hands went directly for my waist. Face aflame, I shivered. For an innocent, he certainly knew what he was doing.

As if Mari were able to control the actions of the Ootori house staff to assure nothing happened, someone knocked at the door. We pulled back quickly, trying to catch our breath. Realizing just what he had been doing, his face heated up a little more and his expression contorted to one of slight uncertainty.

"Young Master Ootori?" An elderly woman called. "If you and your guest are still awake, your mother would like to see you both."

Kyoya quickly sobered up and pulled himself back in check at her words. "Let her know that my guest and I will be there momentarily."

"Right away." She told him before her footsteps were heard walking away.

He took in my expression. "Would you like to meet my mother? I mean, I know you saw her when you first visited the estate but you never really met-"

I smiled and cut in. "Of course."

A very genuine smile threatening to take over his face, he stood and took my hand before leading me from the room. As we walked down the hallway towards the stairs, the ring that rested in my pocket suddenly became very heavy. She would end up worrying if I didn't wear it. Pulling it from my pocket, I slid it on quickly and ignored the eyes I knew were on me.

"Don't wear it for anyone's sake but yours." He whispered as we stopped in front of a set of double doors directly at the top of the grand staircase. Two men in suits opened the doors for us to reveal another hallway. Walking to the very end of it, we stopped at the last door to the left where Kyoya knocked.

"Come in." A gentle voice called.

Opening the door, Kyoya let me step into the lavish sitting room first. Standing on the other side of the room, right in front of the center window, was a woman with long dark hair brought back in an elaborate bun and ornamented with a jeweled comb. Her red dress stopped just before her feet and dipped down quite a bit in back. When she turned around, there was no doubting it. Even if I had never seen her in pictures, I would still recognize her as Kyoya's mother. Other than her eyes being an enchanting shade of sapphire blue, she looked like an older version of Kyoya and his sister.

"Mother, I would like to introduce you properly to my fiance, Avianna Yukimura."

She smiled and it reached her eyes. "It is wonderful to meet you. I am sorry it took until now for us to meet this way."

"The pleasure is mine." I told her awkwardly but nonetheless sincerely. She seemed considerably kinder than Mr. Ootori. "You have a beautiful home."

My words made her smile a little less genuine, confusing me. "Thank you. To be frank with you and my son, I have called you in here for a particular reason. Would you both sit, please?"

Doing as she instructed, we took a seat beside one another on a loveseat while his mother sat on the one across the way. Kyoya spoke first. "What is it?"

She sighed before resting her hands in her lap. "I understand that you are not entirely against this marriage...but I am no fool. Neither of you are ready for this. While I dare not allow you to leave this agreement lest I anger my husband...I can do for you one thing. Kyoya, your father wishes to open another hospital in Kyoto this Summer. It is being built as we speak and will even rival his largest one in Tokyo. He will talk to you about it when he returns from Kyoto himself. He's visiting it."

"I'm not sure what you mean. I haven't even heard of it and I've been tracking this sort of thing."

"You would not hear of it, of course. Your father found your spy." His mother told him with almost a sullen look on her face. "He did not find mine. Apparently, he wishes for you to travel to Kyoto for the opening of his new hospital and remain there for the Summer to assure it thrives. It would be wise to make use of that time by spending what free time you have with Avianna. Take her with you. Without the pressuring presence of people such as your father, Kyoya, or your brother, Avianna, you may find the time much more pleasant."

I looked to Kyoya then, waiting for his reaction. He looked like he was seriously contemplating this. After a moment, he turned to look at me. "Would you want that, Avianna? To spend the Summer with me in Kyoto."

Glancing at his mother's expectant face, I looked to Kyoya again and nodded. "I really would."

My heart beginning to beat just a little faster, I realized that this had to be the turning point our relationship. Right now, we're at that point where we want alone time but don't get much of it, which keeps us from going to far. This Summer, we'll have legitimate alone time, without Kyoya's family, without mine and without the host club. As scary as it was to imagine what Kyoya and I would do with that time, I didn't want to give it up. Here's hoping everything goes alright until this Summer comes.


	28. An Apology

**Dear Reader,**

**I would first like to apologize on behalf of my slowness in writing. I know I left it on a cliffhanger and that probably wasn't the best idea. My days have been filled lately with spending time with my fiance and finding a place of employment. Now that I have one, that's yet another thing taking up my time.**

**I assure you that I have tried several times to continue my writing but it isn't working out. I think I've stressed myself out so much about everything, including getting chapters up, that it's slowed my writing and, in some cases, stopped it all-together.**

**I also want to announce that I have decided to go on a hiatus of sorts that will last for an undetermined amount of time. I will finish the story soon but it may take a while. I am so very sorry for that.**

**Begging your forgiveness,**

**SpiritedChild**


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